PARIS — Excuses? Nah. Noah Lyles’s positive test for COVID-19 is not an excuse for his surprising third-place performance in the men’s 200-meter final on Thursday night. But it was a factor—and there is a big difference, in sports, between factors and excuses.
Claiming he lost because he’s never run on a purple track would be an excuse. Blaming refs is almost always an excuse. Complaining that your hotel-room pillow was too soft, your bus driver drove too slow, or your socks were too tight: Excuse, excuse, excuse.
