Team USA earned a sweep of gold medals on Sunday at the Paris Olympics as sprinter Noah Lyles became the first American to win the men’s 100-meter race in 20 years in a thrilling photo-finish.
Sunday saw a haul of ten medals across individual and team events including five golds. The USA has 71 medals, the most out of any country, going into the second full week of the Games.
The men’s 100m race saw a stunning performance from Noah Lyles who won his first gold medal with a time of 9.79 seconds on Sunday night, beating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, by four-thousandths of a second.
Lyles, whose preferred event is actually the 200m race, held his bib high and jumped in the air after he secured gold. “America,” Lyles said, speaking down the camera, “I told you! I got this!” The 27-year-old then ran to hug his mom in the stands.
The last American sprinter to take gold at the 100m was Justin Gatlin during the 2004 Athens games. Lyles’ teammate Fred Kerley secured bronze with a score of 9.81 seconds.
Meanwhile, American swimmer Bobby Finke beat the 2012 world record in the men’s 1500m freestyle race. Finke’s record-setting win came after he earned silver in the 800m race.
Finke told reporters he was eager to defend his 1500m gold medal from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“I was just happy I won,” Finke said. “I had a lot of pressure going into the race, I really wanted to defend that medal, I really wanted to get on top of that podium again. And hear the anthem all over again like I did in Tokyo. So to be able to do that was great.”
The US women’s team won gold in the 4x100m medley relay, beating the world record with a time of 3:50.40. The men’s 4x100m medley relay team also won silver.
On the golf course, American Scottie Scheffler, this year’s US Open winner, broke down after winning gold coming in 19 under par.
Kristen Faulkner crossed the finish line in first place in the women’s cycling road race. Faulkner, who was not a favorite to win, stunned audiences after earning the gold as an Olympic newcomer for Team USA.
“It’s a dream come true,” Faulkner told the Associated Press. “It’s the best feeling in the world. I don’t know how to describe it.”
Suni Lee won bronze on the uneven bars, competing after the women’s gmynastics team secured a collective gold medal. “I’m really proud of myself. This time around, it’s just been so much more amazing,” she said.
Other champions include Brady Ellison, who secured silver in men’s individual archery, and Austen Smith, who earned bronze in women’s skeet shooting.
Team USA excelled on Saturday as well, with legendary swimmer Katie Ledecky earning her ninth gold and 14th medal total. Ledecky is now the most decorated female American Olympian.
Simone Biles also became the most-decorated American gymnast in history in Tuesday after her team won gold. The 27-year-old went one to securing her tenth Olympic medal on Saturday with a stunning vault routine.
Sha’Carri Richardson also secured silver in the 100-meter final on Saturday during her first Olympics after being barred from the Tokyo games for a marijuana violation.
