Noah Lyles explains why people might think he was faking COVID-19 at Paris Olympics 2024

Noah Lyles explained why people might think he was faking his COVID-19 illness during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Notably, Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19 on the morning of August 6 and still competed in the semifinals and final of the 200m despite being ill.

After narrowly defeating Jamaica's Kishane Thompson to be crowned the 100m Olympic champion, Lyles was considered a heavy favorite to win the 200m, being a three-time world champion in the event and the third-fastest runner in history. However, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo put on a dominating show in the 200m final to claim the gold medal, pushing Lyles to third.

Thereafter, Lyles shocked the world by revealing he was COVID-19 positive when he ran the 200m final and claimed the bronze, despite the illness. In Netflix’s Sprint, he said that he kept the news hidden from the world before the race so as not to give his competitors an advantage, adding that they might think they could beat him due to his illness.

While many fans praised his 200m performance, others believed he was faking the illness to avoid worldwide criticism. Lyles’ dancing at a post-Olympic party after revealing COVID-19 fueled further doubts about his remarks.

In the ‘Beyond The Records Podcast’, Noah Lyles explained why he believed people might think he was faking COVID-19. He said (0:42 onwards):

“I was in the club, having fun, celebrating my wins. I understand it. I understand why they think it’s fake because they are always gonna think it’s fake because one, I am American, and two, you know, I am saying that I have this disease and yet I compete better than you can ever imagine.”

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Noah Lyles opens up after winning bronze in 200m at 2024 Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles after 200m at Paris Olympics. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Six-time world champion Noah Lyles opened up about his bronze-medal victory in the 200m race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After requiring immediate treatment and being carried away from the track in a wheelchair, Lyles spoke on his performance in an interview with NBC.

“I've never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and getting a bronze medal. Last Olympics I was very disappointed [in bronze]... and this time I couldn't be more proud,” he said.

Moreover, following the release of Sprint: Part 2 docu-series on Netflix, Lyles shared what he felt on his bronze-medal performance. He reacted (Episode 4, starting at 45:41), saying:

“I got third. Huh. I got third with Covid. I’m pretty amazing”.

Lyles’ fiancee Junelle Bromfield also reacted to the American sprinter’s achievement. In the docu-series, she was also quoted as saying:

“I said he did good because even 3:00 am last night, I had to be touching him, the way he was coughing.”

Notably, Noah Lyles came third with a time of 19.70s, behind Tebogo (19.46s) and compatriot Kenny Bednarek (19.62s).