NBC Olympics announcer Leigh Diffey got his call of the 100-meter dash gold medal win for Noah Lyles wrong. Lyles edged out Kishane Thompson of Jamaica by a 0.005 seconds to claim the USA’s first gold in the event since 2004. He incorrectly declared Thompson the winner on the live broadcast, which is understandable, since the two runners were also confused about who had won. Reportedly NBC planned to replay the full race again “with added context,” meaning that Diffey’s call will be “corrected.”
I’m hoping that some rogue staffer with functioning ethics alarms talked them out of it: so far, I can’t find the video of the replay or any commentary confirming that NBC went through with its plan as reported.
The fact that NBC Sports even considered doing it is ominous enough, however. An announcer’s call is part of the sporting event itself. Many calls that were later assessed as unprofessional (“THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THEY’RE GOING CRAZY! WWWEEEAAAHHHOOOOO!”) or incorrect nonetheless entered the Memorable Broadcasting Hall of Fame, or would have if there were such a place. The fact that Diffey reported the wrong runner as the victor just shows how close the finish was.
Does it not register on these people that the more they are caught covering up their own errors and mistakes, the less reason the public has to trust anything they show or say? Apparently not.
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Pointer: Curmie
Ethics Alarms 
I watched the race live. The call was not botched. Thompson’s foot crossed the line first but IOC rules dictate the winner whose torso crosses first. Lyles thought he got silver. In his case, it was reasonable to declare Thompson winner: neither celebrated because it was too close and a photo finish review was required.
The reporting should be left alone. The reporter did a great job and got the correct result after reviewing the video. I guess, for added context, NBC can show puppies wrestling in the backyard. Dewey defeats Truman and all . . .
jvb