"I feel it encapsulates my childhood in that one medal" - Noah Lyles draws parallels between Paris Olympics bronze and his struggles as young kid

Noah Lyles said this week that his 200m bronze medal at the Paris Olympics resembled his childhood as the American had to go through tough challenges to emerge victorious. The Olympic champion had tested positive for COVID-19 a day before the 200m finals and had to be carried away in a wheelchair following the race.

Lyles won the 100m title at the Games and was the overwhelming favorite to win the half-lap event before testing positive for COVID-19. The 27-year-old looked fine during the qualifying races and came out during the finals doing his usual showboating.

However, he didn't have his usual top speed and failed to catch eventual champion Letsile Tebogo, who clocked an African record of 19.46s for the win. Lyles settled for bronze in 19.70 but laid flat on the ground after the race, struggling to breathe before being taken off in a wheelchair.

Speaking about the race in the Netflix docuseries "SPRINT," Lyles said the struggle he had to endure for his 200m bronze medal was akin to his challenges as a young kid when he had to be homeschooled for nearly four years because of asthma attacks. He said,

"So the race didn't go exactly to plan, but that bronze medal means so much to me because I feel it encapsulates my childhood in that one medal. The fight I had to go through as a young kid is the same challenge I had to go through at the Olympics as an adult" (44:00 onwards).

After the 200m final in Paris, the 27-year-old announced the end of his Olympic campaign as he didn't take part in the 4x100m relay. Following his withdrawal, Lyles shared an inspirational message on X, writing:

"I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!"

---

Noah Lyles was undefeated in the 200m between Tokyo and Paris Olympics

Paris 2024 Olympic Games - Noah Lyles wins bronze in men's 200m (Source: Getty)

Noah Lyles was heartbroken for several weeks after winning the 200m bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The American was the reigning world champion in the distance and was the favorite for the Olympic title before being surprised by Kenny Bednarek and Andre de Grasse, who won the silver and gold medals, respectively.

The setback in Tokyo set the American sprinter for a dominating run in the event. He won the 200m title at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and became the third-fastest sprinter of all time in the distance after clocking a blistering 19.32s in 2022.

The 27-year-old ran 17 races in the 200m between the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics and didn't lose a single one. The 200m final in the French capital put an end to his dominant run but he would nonetheless be itching to get back to winning ways when he returns to the track in 2025.