Noah Lyles has explained his decision to race in the 200m final at the Paris Olympics after testing positive for Covid. The American star was favourite to claim the gold medal but had to settle for bronze after clocking a time of 19.70s.
The 200m was ultimately won by Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo, who cruised to victory in a time of 19.46s.
Lyles’ team-mate Kenny Bednarek clinched the silver medal after clocking 19.62s, with the two Americans seen hugging each other after the race.
Lyles, who left the Stade de France track in a wheelchair, was quizzed about his positive Covid test after USA Track & Field confirmed he had been diagnosed with the virus ahead of the 200m final. And the 27-year-old explained: “I woke up about 5am on Tuesday morning and was feeling really horrible.
“I knew it was more than being sore from the 100m. We woke up the doctors and tested, and unfortunately it came up that I was positive for Covid.
“My first thought was not to panic. I’ve been in worse situations, I’ve run with worse conditions I’ve felt. We just took it day by day, tried to hydrate, quarantined off and I would definitely say it’s taken its toll, for sure.
“But I’ve never been more proud of myself to come out here and get a bronze medal. Last Olympics I was very disappointed and this time I couldn’t be more proud.”
And after being asked if it had crossed his mind to pull out of the race, he added: “No. We were just going to try and quarantine as much as possible, stay away, not pass it off and give it my all.
“If I wasn’t to make it and somebody was able to take my spot, that would’ve been my sign that I didn’t deserve to be in the final.”
Lyles also revealed that he may not line-up in the men’s 4x100m relay final on Friday as he explained: “At the moment, I don’t know. I’m feeling more on the side of letting Team USA do their thing.
“They’re proven with great certainty that they can handle it without me. If that’s the case coming off of today, I’m perfectly fine with saying, “You guys do your thing, you guys have speed to be able to get the gold medal.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the USA Track & Field said: “We can confirm that Noah Lyles tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, August 5th. In response, the USOPC and USATF swiftly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritise his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors.
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”
