Noah Lyles wanted his Gold medal in the 100-meter race with a fitting 200 metres. On Thursday, the favourite won the bronze medal in the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris – and announced that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 two days earlier.
He finished behind Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who won gold, and fellow American Kenny Bednarek, who took silver.
Lyles, a 27-year-old from Northern Virginia, said in a post-race interview with NBC that he woke up early Tuesday feeling “really awful.”
“I knew it was more than just the pain from the 100,” he said. “I woke up the doctors and we ran tests, and unfortunately it turned out I tested positive for COVID.”
Lyles was seen almost immediately after the race asking for water and getting down on one knee. He sat on the side of the track for an extended period while medical personnel tended to him. Photos and videos from after the race show him being wheeled off the track in a wheelchair.
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In the interview he said: “It certainly took its toll, but I have never been so proud of myself to come here and win a bronze medal.”
He said he quarantined himself as long as possible but never considered skipping the race.
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USA Track & Field said in a statement: “We can confirm that Noah Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, August 6. In response, the USOPC (US Olympic & Paralympic Committee) and USATF quickly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritize his health, the well-being of our team and the safety of fellow competitors.”
It continued: “Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while preserving their right to participate. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah has decided to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to closely monitor his condition.”
Lyles has one more race scheduled, the 4×100-meter relay, but after the 200 meters he told NBC he was unsure if he would participate in that event.
“I’m more in favor of letting Team USA do their thing. They’ve certainly proven they can do it without me,” he said. “If that’s the case today, I can easily say, ‘Hey, guys, do your thing. You’re more than fast enough to pull this off and get the gold medal.'”
Later Thursday, Lyles appeared to say in an Instagram post that he would not compete in the event, writing, “I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics.”
“It’s not the Olympics I dreamed of, but it left so much joy in my heart,” Lyles wrote. “I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were for me or against me, you have to admit you were watching, right? Until next time.”
On Sunday, Lyles narrowly defeated Kishane Thompson and conquer the 100-meter goldand beat the Jamaican by just five thousandths of a second. American Fred Kerley completed the medals in a photo finish, with the top four placed just 0.04 seconds apart and the top seven just 0.09 seconds apart – literally the blink of an eye.
Bednarek won silver in the 200 metres in Tokyo, but fell behind in the 100 metres in Paris, finishing seventh at the Stade de France.
Lyles also won the bronze medal in the 200-meter dash in Tokyo. At the Paris Games, he also competed in the 100-meter sprint, which paid off earlier this week.
The 2024 Summer Olympics went well for Team USA, which won the Medal table in athletics – the track and field competitions – before the competitions on Friday: six gold, seven silver and six bronze medals.
