Noah Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 just days before Thursday’s 200-meter final, and the star athlete on the U.S. national track and field team finished the event in a wheelchair after settling for the bronze medal, according to the NBC broadcast.
Before the race started, Lyles came out of the tunnel as soon as his name was announced and didn’t appear to tire, but Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo pulled away in the final seconds to beat Lyles and his teammate Kenny Bednarek in a commanding victory, with Bednarek taking the silver medal.
“I ran into his mother, Keisha Kane Bishop, and she was also distraught, searching for him,” NBC’s Louise Johnson reported on air. “We found Noah Lyles undergoing a medical procedure. She confirmed that Noah had been diagnosed with COVID-19 two days prior… but he decided to run anyway.”
After crossing the finish line and moving on, Lyles lay on the ground beside the track and appeared to be in pain, fatigue or both before being transferred to a wheelchair.
2024 Paris Olympics
His week began with a photo-finish gold medal in the 100 meters, followed by a comfortable victory in the 200 meters heat the next day.
He was expected to replace either Kylie King or Courtney Lindsay in the U.S. team’s lineup for the 4×100 relay final, but it’s unclear if those plans will change following the COVID-19 diagnosis.
