NBC Broadcaster Issues Apology for Mistaken Call on Noah Lyles’ Olympic 100-Meter Victory

NBC's Leigh Diffey issued an apology on Monday for his incorrect announcement during the men's 100-meter final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

During the dramatic photo finish, Diffey mistakenly declared Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson as the winner, rather than Noah Lyles. The actual results, confirmed by photographic evidence, showed that Lyles had won the race.

"The men’s 100 was epic & the closest of all time!" Diffey shared on X (formerly Twitter). "My eyes and 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 Noah Lyles as his story only gets bigger!"

Noah Lyles secured his victory with a time of 9.784 seconds, narrowly edging out Thompson, who finished at 9.789 seconds. Fred Kerley of the United States claimed the bronze medal with a time of 9.81 seconds. Diffey also delayed in announcing Kerley's third-place finish until after Lyles had embraced his teammate.

As NBC’s regular play-by-play announcer for IndyCar, Diffey is covering his sixth Olympics and his second stint in track and field events.