Author: Jonathan Finn, Professor of Communication Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University

On Aug. 4, United States sprinter Noah Lyles and Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson seemed to tie for gold in the men’s 100-metre final with a time of 9.79. Yet later, Lyles was awarded the gold medal because he beat Thompson by 0.005 of a second (9.784 to 9.789). Approximately a week prior, German swimmer Melvin Imoudu and Italian swimmer Ludovico Blu Art Viberti took part in a swim-off for the final spot in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke after both athletes tied with a time of 59.38. Imoudu clinched the final spot by a mere 0.21 seconds. Both the swimmers and…