Noah Lyles’ gold medal-winning run in the men’s 100-meter race on Sunday proved to be one of the most thrilling moments of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Unfortunately, the television broadcast’s call didn’t meet the occasion.
Rather, NBC’s Leigh Diffey confidently called the race as if it was won by Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. In fact, despite the race ending in a clear photo finish, Diffey called it as if there was zero doubt that Thompson had won.
“There’s an Olympic gold medal waiting for somebody,” Diffey said at the start of the race. “Who wants it the most?… Now Thompson starts to wind up… Kerley’s going with him… This is close… Jamaica’s gonna do it! Kishane Thompson is a gold medalist!”
“JAMAICA’S GONNA DO IT!”
Well, about that…pic.twitter.com/proLp6G6cz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 4, 2024
Ultimately, a review of the results found that Lyles had just barely edged out Thompson for the gold medal — his first ever in the Olympics. Amid the backlash to his incorrect call, Diffey took to social media to offer not so much an apology, but rather an explanation as to why he had originally announced Thompson as the winner.
“The men’s 100 was epic & closest of all time! My eyes & instinct told me Kishane Thompson won. Obviously, that wasn’t the case,” he wrote. “I shouldn’t have been so bold to call it, but I genuinely thought he won. I got it wrong. I am thrilled for @LylesNoah as his story only gets bigger!”
The men’s 100 was epic & closest of all time! My eyes & instinct told me Kishane Thompson won. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. I shouldn’t have been so bold to call it, but I genuinely thought he won. I got it wrong. I am thrilled for @LylesNoah as his story only gets bigger!
— Leigh Diffey (@leighdiffey) August 5, 2024
Obviously, Diffey’s eyes and instincts have aided him well in the past, as you don’t find yourself in a position to call one of the most highly anticipated events at the Olympics by accident. Still, it was curious that he was so confident in making a call in a race that was ultimately decided by five thousandths of a second.
Had Thompson actually finished in first, Diffey’s call would have provided an incredible soundtrack for the historic moment. Instead, it will go down as an unfortunate blemish that will only be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.