"A pressure cooker ready to explode" - Noah Lyles describes emotions before beating Kishane Thompson for 100m title at Paris Olympics 

In a recent interview, Noah Lyles claimed he felt like a 'pressure cooker ready to explode' at the start of the Paris Olympics' 100m finals. In the end, the American sprinter came out triumphant, beating Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second.

Lyles was the favorite for the coveted title at the start of the year before rising sprinters from Jamaica began showing their form. The 27-year-old lost to Oblique Seville early in the season despite clocking an impressive 9.85s, a time which was only 0.02s shy of his personal best at the time.

Lyles improved massively over the next few months, tying his personal best at the U.S. Olympic Trials before setting a new one at the London Diamond League, a week before the start of the Paris Olympics. The stage was set for the biggest showdown of the year, and although odds seemed evenly balanced, they turned against Lyles after he lost two back-to-back races in the qualification and semifinal rounds.

Speaking of the environment and his emotions before the start of the finals, Lyles told The Telegraph on November 2:

"They have us all underneath the stadium, and that’s where we’re most exciting and energetic. There’s this bubbling momentum that builds, a pressure cooker ready to explode," he said.

Talking about the confidence that he felt moments before the race, Lyles added:

"You’re smiling from ear to ear. And I just know that I’m going to come out as the victor. I’m thinking, 'How can I go out there and let them know that this is mine and nobody else’s?'"

It turned out to be one of the fastest 100m races in Olympic history, and yet Lyles came out on the top in a breathtaking finish inside the Stade de France. He clocked 9.874 for the gold medal while Thompson came second in 9.879. USA's Fred Kerley picked his second 100m bronze medal in 9.81s.

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Noah Lyles couldn't secure the historic double but was 'proud' of his 200m bronze medal

The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Noah Lyles warming up (Source: Getty)

While many doubted Noah Lyles' chances of winning the 100m title, he was an outright favorite for the 200m title, more so after that clutch performance in the 100m finals. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 after winning the 100m gold, but despite the illness, he competed in the 200m rounds as well as finals.

Lyles fell short in the finals, winning a bronze medal in 19.70s while Letsile Tebogo emerged as the surprise winner in an African record of 19.46s with Kenny Bednarek taking the silver medal in 19.62. Speaking to NBC after the race, Lyles said (as quoted by Olympics.com):

"I've never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and getting a bronze medal. Last Olympics I was very disappointed [in bronze]... and this time I couldn't be more proud," Noah Lyles said.

The three-time 200m world champion was among the favorites for the 200m title at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well but could only manage a bronze medal.