NBC Broadcaster Speaks Out After Botched Noah Lyles Olympics Call

It was an Olympic moment for the ages — and one that broadcaster Leigh Diffey will never live down.

During the men’s 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday, August 4, American Noah Lyles emerged victorious by 0.0005 seconds in a dramatic photo finish. However, veteran commentator Diffey, 53, inaccurately gave the win to Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who ultimately came in second place. 

“The men’s 100 was epic & closest of all time! My eyes & instinct told me Kishane Thompson won. Obviously, that wasn’t the case,” Diffey wrote via X on Monday, August 5. “I shouldn’t have been so bold to call it, but I genuinely thought he won. I got it wrong.”

His post concluded, “I am thrilled for @LylesNoah as his story only gets bigger!”

When reached for comment by The Associated Press, Diffey wasn’t interested. “I’d rather not fuel the fire,” he said. 

“They’re all experts after it’s over, right?” he said of his critics. “I trusted my eyes and instinct and got it wrong by .0005 seconds.”

During NBC’s primetime rebroadcast of the race, Diffey’s call was adjusted to signify much earlier that Lyles was the victor. 

“Jamaica’s gonna do it!” Diffey announced excitedly during the live race. “Kishane Thompson is a gold medalist!”

Diffey’s partner, Ato Boldon, was in agreement after the chaotic end to the race. “It was the lean at the tape by Thompson,” Boldon, 50, said. “Visually, we think he got it!”

However, after a few moments of tense confusion, it was revealed that Lyles had actually crossed the finish line first.

The race was so close that the competitors themselves had no idea who won, as they huddled around and anxiously looked at the arena’s scoreboard for the official results. 

Once he was declared the winner, Lyles ripped off his name placard from his jersey and paraded around to celebrate being distinguished as the fastest man in the world. 

“I did think Thompson had it at the end,” Lyles told reporters after the race. “I went up to him when we were waiting and I said, ‘I think you got that one, big dog.’ And then my name popped up and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m amazing.’”

Lyles returns to the track on Monday, August 5 for the men’s 200m heats. If he moves on, the semifinals of the event are scheduled for Wednesday, August 7, with the final scheduled for Thursday, August 8.