Photo finish proves just how insanely close Noah Lyles 100M gold medal race was

Noah Lyles is now the reigning fastest man in the world and he did it by the smallest margin possible.

The American sprinter known for his self-confidence and swagger won gold in the men's 100m final at the Paris Olympics on Sunday. He bested Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second. Both posted a time of 9.79. It was that close.

But you know what they say: A picture is worth a thousand words. So enough with the words. The picture literally does say it all.

That's a photo finish for the ages, one that NBA Twitter wasn't pleased by.

If Lyles hadn't leaned forward by even a tiny amount, he would have lost the title to Thompson. In fact, the NBC broadcast fully believed Thompson had won it based on the live finish. Everyone had to wait for the result to be announced with Lyles in first, Thompson in second and American Fred Kerley in third.

Here's the full fastest 10 seconds in sports:

Noah Lyles brought big personality to a dramatic victory at the Olympics

Watching the start of the race, you wouldn't have expected Lyles to even be near the front. He got off to a slow start and had to make up ground, showing incredible acceleration to catch up.

Lyles is the first American man to win the 100 meters since Justin Gatlin in 2004. Team USA won four of six Olympic golds between 1984 and 2004. Carl Lewis twice claimed the title and Maurice Greene brought the U.S. into the new millennium on the top step.

It was a long wait but the 20-year drought is over and Lyles made it worth it with all the drama.

Lyles had the most memorable introduction of the race, skipping out onto the track while waving his hands in the air to pump up the crowd. After his victory, he tore off his name tag and raised it above his head while doing a victory lap around the track, thumping his chest in exhilaration.