"I didn't do Noah Lyles antics"- The American athlete weighs in on competing in the Paris Olympics after testing positive for COVID

Noah Lyles opened up about the aftermath of testing positive before the men's 200m finals at the Paris Olympics. The American athlete revealed that he was so low on energy that he could not even go ahead with his customary antics on the track before the race.

The 27-year-old was in high spirits and peak form after winning the gold medal in the 100m finals. However, tragedy struck the Olympian after the 200m heats, as he tested positive for COVID-19. He decided to keep his diagnosis under wraps and participate in the men's 200m finals alongside some of the fastest athletes in the world, such as Letsile Tebogo, Kenny Bednarek, and Erriyon Knighton, among others.

Noah Lyles ultimately finished third in the race and was seen struggling with breathing soon after the race. He was soon assisted by the medical team and escorted out in a wheelchair.

The USATF made an announcement after the race and revealed that Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19 but still opted to participate in the men's 200m finals on his own accord.

The Olympic gold medalist spoke about the aftermath of testing positive for COVID in 'Beyond the Records podcast.'

"Throughout the whole process, the biggest issue was energy. I would go to moments where I feel like I'm on top of the world and then my energy would just plummet and that's what was my biggest worry. So, I go through the semi-finals and you know I'm worrying that I'm not going to be able to get through it and somehow I get through the race and I was so low energy like I didn't do much like I didn't do the Noah antics because I was like I want to like conserve all this energy," he said.

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Noah Lyles on his decision to compete in the 200m finals despite testing positive for COVID-19

Noah Lyles struggles with his breath after the 200m finals at the 2024 Summer Olympics - Day 13 - Source: Getty

Noah Lyles spoke about his decision to compete despite testing positive for COVID in a post-race interview at the Paris Olympics. The American athlete revealed that he did not want to lose out on the opportunity of competing in the finals of the Olympics and also wasn't restricted by rules to withdraw due to his diagnosis.

"I still wanted to run; they said it was still possible," Lyles said. "So we just stayed away from everybody and just tried to take it round by round. And to be honest, I knew if I wanted to come out here and win, I had to give everything I had from the get-go. I didn't have any time to save energy," he said.

After winning the bronze medal in the 200m finals, Lyles withdrew from the 4x100m relay and ultimately concluded his 2024 season.