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Noah Lyles raced in the men’s 200m final at the Olympics and won the bronze medal before revealing he had competed with Covid.
The American, who won gold in the men’s 100m final on Sunday evening, said he had tested positive on Tuesday but decided to enter Thursday night’s race.
Lyles was attempting to complete the sprint double by winning 100m and 200m golds but finished third, beaten by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and American teammate Kenny Bednarek.
Lyles said his performance was “affected” by Covid but was “proud” of his efforts in winning bronze after running at “90 to 95 percent” in the 200m final.
What happened?
There was nothing to suggest Lyles was struggling with illness when he came bounding out of the tunnel before the 200m final, where the 27-year-old was attempting to emulate Usain Bolt by winning the 100m and 200m at the same Olympics.
Lyles came from behind to win a dramatic 100m final on Sunday night, winning gold by 0.005s, and when he trailed Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek coming into the final bend at the Stade de France it looked as if he could repeat the trick.
However, Lyles was unable to close the gap and instead Tebogo pulled away on the home straight. The 21-year-old won with a time of 19.46 seconds, making him the fifth-fastest of all time, but Lyles was down on his personal best by almost half a second.
After crossing the line, Lyles congratulated Tebogo and embraced the new champion before falling onto his back. His breathing was heavy and Lyles struggled to get up. When he did, he was attended to by medics and when he left the track he did so in a wheelchair.
Within minutes of the end of the race, NBC reported that Lyles had tested positive for Covid. A few moments later, a statement from the USA track and field federation confirmed that Lyles had tested positive on Tuesday.
Why was Lyles allowed to compete?
At the Tokyo Olympics, a positive test for Covid would have resulted in an athlete being placed in isolation and there is no way Lyles would have been able to race under the same guidelines.
But three years later, the world is a different place and at the Olympics, much like in other sports and at work and schools, there are no such policies at Paris 2024 and Covid is treated like other respiratory illnesses.
In their statement, the US track and field federation said they and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee had fully adhered to the guidelines set out at the Olympics.
“We swiftly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritise his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors,” the statement said.
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”
According to Lyles, he tested positive early on Tuesday morning after waking up in the middle of the night with “chills, aching and sore throat”. He was placed into a quarantine in a hotel near the Olympic village but the only people who knew were “the medical staff, my coach, my mum”.
He said he kept the positive Covid test “close to the chest” because he did not want the competition to get an “edge” over him ahead of the 200m final.
What else did Lyles say?
“It definitely affected my performance. I’ve had to take a lot of breaks… I was coughing through the night.
“I’m more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with Covid.
“I’ve had better days, but I’m walking around again. I was quite light-headed after that race.
“Shortness of breath, chest pain, but after a while I could catch my breath and get my wits about me. I’m a lot better now.”
Lyles also competed in the semi-finals of the 200m on Wednesday, a day after returning a positive test. He was beaten by Tebogo in the semi-finals in his first defeat in the 200m in 26 races.
Did he put his fellow athletes at risk of catching Covid too?
Lyles was seen embracing gold medal Letsile Tebogo after the race - but the new 200m champion said he did not mind Lyles competing in the final with Covid as athletics is “not a contact sport”.
Tebogo said he saw Lyles warming up for the 200m final in a face mask and had suspected that something was up with the American after beating him in the semi-finals. He said he did not know Lyles had Covid.
Lyles said he “stayed away from everybody” when he returned to the track but the images immediately post-race suggested otherwise.
Will Lyles race again at the Olympics?
Lyles had aspirations of winning four gold medals at the Olympics and the next leg of his plan would have been in the 4x100m relay on Friday night. The 4x400m relay is then scheduled on Saturday night.
Lyles, however, said in an Instagram post that the 200m “will be the end of my 2024 Olympics” - the American said that it was up to the coaches of the 4x100m to make a decision on whether he competes after describing himself at around “90 to 95 percent” for the 200m.
“First I want to thank God for getting me through this entire Olympics! Second I want to congratulate [Letstile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek] and everyone else on an amazing Olympic 200m final. Finally I want to thank everyone for the supportive messages.
“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics. It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart. I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you? See you next time.”
