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Noah Lyles expressed disappointment in Team USA's handling of his COVID-19 illness at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Olympic champion had tested positive a day before the 200m final but managed to win a bronze medal nonetheless.
Lyles started his Olympic campaign in the men's 100m, and although he lost both his opening round and semifinal races, the 27-year-old put up an inspiring performance in the final. He clocked a lifetime best of 9.79s to win the gold medal, beating Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by five-hundredths of a second.
The world champion tested positive for COVID-19 on the following day but kept the news a secret from media and fans until the 200m final was over. Lyles ran 19.70s for a bronze medal, leaving him struggling for air at the end before being carted off the track in a wheelchair.
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While the American sprinter clarified he had taken the necessary precautions, he nonetheless received a lot of flak for risking the health of other sprinters competing in the final. Team USA also didn't put out a statement to clarify Lyles' situation, a decision that left the 100m Olympic champion disappointed.
"I think the real thing that messed up was that Team USA did not put out a statement saying that we tested positive, Noah tested positive, and that we made sure that he was in a controlled environment and that we followed laws. There was no message from that and I'm like wow, this is the moment where you come to defend your athletes," he said (via Beyond The Records Podcast).
The two-time Olympian also faced allegations of having faked his COVID-19 test because of the loss in the 200m finals after he was spotted partying a few days later. However, Lyles clarified he had tested negative before the party.
"The day I went to the club, the day that we decided that, I had tested negative. I took the COVID test, and I knew that people were gonna be like oh he didn't have COVID, so I posted my negative test," he added.
"I'm more proud of myself than anything" - Noah Lyles after finishing third in the 200m Olympic final
Noah Lyles made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and he was the favorite to win the 200m title before a third-place finish in the final left him heartbroken. However, when he finished third again in the 200m final at the 2024 Olympics, the three-time Olympic medalist was proud of himself.
"I was coughing through the night. I'm more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with Covid. 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," Noah Lyles said (via BBC).
While the 27-year-old further added that COVID did affect his performance, it would have needed a monumental effort from the American sprinter to beat Letsile Tebogo, who clocked 19.46s for an African record time.
