Noah Lyles expressed his pride in clinching the bronze medal in the 200m event, despite being sidelined by Covid-19, which hindered his ambition to become the first athlete since Usain Bolt to achieve an individual Olympic sprint double.
The 27-year-old American athlete secured the 100m title by a mere five-thousandths of a second in a thrilling final on Sunday. However, just four days later, he was seen being assisted off the track in a wheelchair after Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo claimed the 200m gold, following Lyles’ positive Covid test earlier that Tuesday.
Lyles chose to keep his positive test result private from his competitors and made a vibrant entrance onto the track for the final. Nevertheless, after finishing the race, he acknowledged that Covid had a significant impact on his performance.
“I’ve had to take a lot of breaks,” he remarked, noting symptoms like coughing that kept him awake at night. He added, “I’m more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with Covid. I was quite light-headed after that race, experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain, but eventually, I could regain my breath and composure. I’m feeling much better now.”
Originally expected to participate in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay events, Lyles later indicated on social media that this might mark the end of his 2024 Olympic aspirations. He reflected, “It’s not the Olympics I dreamed of, but it has filled me with so much joy in my heart – I hope everyone enjoyed the show.”
Lyles had initially created excitement among fans with his signature pre-race theatrics as he aimed to become only the tenth man in history to win both 100m and 200m gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Following last year’s achievement of three world titles, he started this Olympic venture aiming for a potential four golds with a stunning 100m victory. He narrowly surpassed Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in what many are calling the fastest 100m race ever, with all eight finalists achieving impressive times.
Ultimately, Lyles struggled to find his form in the 200m final, after making only the sixth-fastest start. He trailed behind the leaders for most of the race, finishing behind silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek. The extent of his struggle became evident post-race, as he appeared breathless and required assistance to leave the track, later being photographed lying flat on the ground.