Paris, France - World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79sec to claim gold in a dramatic men's Olympic 100m final in Paris on Sunday.

Lyles became the first American, male or female, to win the event since Justin Gatlin won in the 2004 Athens Games.

In a photo finish, Jamaica's Kishane Thompson claimed silver, just five-thousandths of a second off Lyles' pace.

Lyles' US teammate Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81sec, just one-hundredth ahead of South African Akani Simbine, who timed 9.82sec.

Defending champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85sec, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo sixth in 9.86sec, American Kenny Bednarek seventh in 9.88sec, and Jamaican Oblique Seville eighth in 9.91sec in an astonishing race.

Starting in lane seven, outside Seville and inside Tebogo, Lyles got off to an average start but was soon into his stride pattern.

Head tucked down through to the 40-metre mark, the American opened up, but the whole field pushed him all the way.

As Lyles dipped for the line with Thompson charging alongside him, the crowd erupted and a photo-finish was called before Lyles was confirmed as gold medalist.

The photo-finish officials examined the evidence and Lyles walked away with gold to bury the demons of the Tokyo Games where he earned a 200m bronze.