(Rightallegiance.com) – Noah Lyles’ dream of replicating the historic feats of sprinting legends Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis was cut short at the Paris Olympics, as he finished third in the 200-meter final just two days after testing positive for Covid.
Lyles ran a time of 19.70 seconds, securing a bronze medal behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who won gold in 19.46 seconds, and fellow American Kenny Bednarek, who took silver with a time of 19.62 seconds.
After testing positive, Lyles quarantined in a hotel away from the Olympic Village, returning to the track with a mask for warmups before Wednesday’s semifinal. Despite his illness, Lyles was determined to compete in the final, choosing not to reveal his diagnosis to his competitors. “You never want to tell your competitors you’re sick,” Lyles, 27, said. “Why would you give them an edge over you?”
Lyles’ energetic demeanor before the final, where he was seen jumping and sprinting, belied his condition. However, it became apparent during the race that he wasn’t at his best. Lyles was trailing from the start and appeared far from the sprinter who had won 26 consecutive races dating back to 2021. He ultimately collapsed at the finish line, needing water and a wheelchair to be escorted from the track.
This marked a stark contrast to his earlier triumph in the 100 meters, where he claimed his first Olympic gold by a margin of just five-thousandths of a second. “Testing positive for Covid definitely affected my performance,” Lyles admitted after the race. “But I mean, to be honest, I’m more proud of myself than anything coming out and get the bronze medal with Covid in three days. It’s been a wild Olympics.”
USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee emphasized that all protocols set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were followed, prioritizing Lyles’ health and the safety of his fellow competitors.
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” read a statement from USA Track & Field. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”
Despite the disappointment of not achieving his goals, Lyles remained determined to contribute to Team USA, leaving the decision of whether he should participate in the 4×100-meter relay final to USA Track & Field.
Lyles had been aiming to become the first man to win both sprints at an Olympics since Bolt in 2016 and the first American to do so since Lewis in 1984. Additionally, his hopes of winning four gold medals at a single Olympics, a feat not achieved since 1984, were dashed with this bronze finish.