KUALA LUMPUR – Paris Olympics 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, took bronze in the 200m yesterday.
What everyone was talking about was how Covid-19 affected Lyles’ chance of winning his pet event, losing to Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who won his nation’s first Olympic gold.
After the race, Lyles said the virus “definitely” affected his performance and that he had been coughing through the night ahead of the race.
The American, who has asthma, was taken off the track in a wheelchair after the finish as he battled to catch his breath and tore his singlet half off.
“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,” Lyles said.
“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.”
According to reports, Lyles woke in the middle of the night with chills, aching and a sore throat, he said, and his team then got him on “as much medication as we legally could to make sure my body could keep the momentum going.”
In a later post on Instagram, Lyles said he believed his Olympics were over, indicating he would not compete in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
Even with the virus, Lyles, a star of the Netflix series Sprint, put on his usual show when coming out for the 200m, jumping and revving up the roaring crowd.
“I already had a bunch of energy,” he said. “This is by far the best day I’ve felt out of the last three days. Still not 100%, but closer to 90 to 95%.” – August 9, 2024