“A win is a win.” That phrase might have become a catchy tune back in 2022 thanks to Dubskie, but it’s also the perfect way to describe the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the line between winning and losing got razor-thin. Just ask Noah Lyles. The American sprinter snagged gold in the 100m by a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it margin of five-thousandths of a second over Kishane Thompson. The race was so tight that even Lyles himself wasn’t sure who had won at first. “I did think Thompson had it at the end,” he admitted after the race that had everyone on the edge of their seats.

It was one of those classic photo finishes in Olympic history—except for Oblique Seville, who was left in the dust. Everyone else in the race had to stare at that photo finish tag next to their name on the leaderboard until the final result came out. But hey, Noah claimed the gold with a time of 9.79 seconds, and let’s be honest: a win’s a win, especially when it’s in the marquee event. Sure, some critics had their say, pointing out that both Noah and Kishane clocked 9.79 seconds and that their times weren’t exactly record-breaking. But after a little input from Mondo Duplantis and Gabby Thomas, that debate might finally be put to rest.

Fast forward to September 5, and the pole vaulting record breaker Mondo Duplantis is gearing up for a fun little detour—a 100m sprint against Karsten Warholm before the Zurich Diamond League. It’s a friendly speed showdown hosted by PUMA, a break from their usual events. But before hitting the track, Mondo dropped some wisdom about this whole “how close is too close” debate.

“For me, I don’t care about the time. If I run 10.30 and I lose, that’s worse than running 10.60 and winning.” Simple, right? He’s all about crossing that finish line first, no matter the time on the clock. “For me, it’s really just getting to the line first. And if I win, that’s everything,” he added. And guess what? Gabby Thomas is totally on board with Mondo’s take!

In her Instagram story on September 3, Gabby re-shared Mondo’s video of his insight and added her own spin. The 200m Olympic champ wrote, “I’m begging track and field to stop focusing so hard on times.” Then, with a little nod to Noah Lyles’ Olympic win, she threw in, “Like we’re debating over fractions of seconds?? 🤔” And just to drive the point home, she finished with, “Yes this is the point of COMPETITION 🤷‍♀️.”

For Gabby, who walked away from Paris with three gold medals, including in her signature 200m event, it’s all about the win too. On August 6, Gabby Thomas did what no American female sprinter had done since Allyson Felix in 2012—she claimed the women’s 200m title at the Paris Olympics. But this wasn’t just any victory; Gabby had to overcome Julien Alfred, the newly crowned 100m champion from St. Lucia. Despite the challenge, Gabby had a little something extra going for her—a psychological edge that had been brewing since their last encounter.

Before the Paris showdown, Gabby and Julien had already faced off at the London Diamond League on July 20, in the very same event—the 200m. That race was a nail-biter. Gabby started off trailing behind both Dina Asher-Smith and Julien Alfred. But in true champion fashion, she surged ahead, overtaking the British sprinter midway through the race and closing in on Alfred as they neared the finish line. The 60,000 fans at London Stadium witnessed a heart-stopping photo finish, but the scoreboard didn’t lie—Gabby had edged out Julien by just four one-hundredths of a second. It was a win she desperately needed, and it gave her a serious boost heading into the Olympics.

In the end, it’s clear that victories, no matter how close, are what truly count. And with that in mind, Mondo Duplantis might just take a page out of Gabby’s playbook as he gears up for his next big race. After all, a win is a win, right? And Gabby is not the only American cheering him on!

Noah Lyles hypes his Swedish friend on the track 

After dominating two of the biggest 100m events back-to-back—the 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics—Noah Lyles has pretty much cemented himself as the king of the 100m. With his Olympic final time putting him in the third spot on the world-leading list, Lyles is clearly at the top of his game. So, it’s no surprise that he might be keeping an eye on the upcoming friendly showdown between Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm. After all, Noah’s a big fan of watching Mondo push the limits, something he made pretty clear during the Paris Olympics.

After his golden evening at Stade de France, Lyles wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet. He stuck around to watch Mondo Duplantis do his thing in the pole-vault final—and what a show it was! Mondo walked away with another gold medal and set a new world record—his ninth to be exact. Watching it all unfold, Lyles couldn’t contain his excitement. As Mondo wrapped up his post-match chat, Noah snuck up behind him and chirped, “All-star, let’s go!”

But the real bromance moment came when Lyles gave Mondo a shoutout for his incredible performance. “You know this is the first time I ever got to see you attempt it in person. I love you man, you’re amazing.” Mondo, clearly thrilled by the praise, was all smiles. When asked about the moment later, he said, “I don’t think I can describe it just yet.”

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So, with Mondo gearing up for his September 5 race against Karsten Warholm, it’s safe to say that Noah—and probably the entire track and field world—will be watching closely.