Something didn’t make sense when Noah Lyles, the heavy favorite to win the men’s 200-meter final, finished in third.
It was the same result he got three years ago in Tokyo, but he’s massively improved in the event with a personal best of 19.31 (the third-fastest ever) and winning the world championships in 2022 and 2023 (he also won in 2019).
However, Lyles settled for bronze, and after cameras caught him seeking medical attention after the race, along with needing a wheelchair to head back into the tunnel, it was revealed that the 27-year-old was diagnosed with COVID earlier in the week.
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“I woke up early, about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and I was just feeling really horrible. I knew it was more than being sore from the 100,” Lyles told NBC. He had won gold in that race and was looking to become the first American to pull off the Olympic double since Carl Lewis in 1984.
Despite not getting the result he wanted, Lyles, whose “dream goal” in these games was to set a new world record in the event, is taking it positively.
“My first thought was not to panic, thinking I’ve been in worse situations. I’ve run with worse conditions, I felt … ” he said. “I’d definitely say it’s taken its toll, for sure, but I’ve never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and get a bronze medal. Last Olympics, I was very disappointed. This time, I couldn’t be more proud.”
Lyles said he never considered not racing in the final, but he later posted that he’d likely be bowing out of the rest of the Olympics; he was set to run in the men’s 4×100-meter final on Friday.
“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics. It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart,” Lyles wrote in an Instagram post.
“I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you? See you next time.”
Lyles had told the broadcast that the rest of the 4×100 team “can handle it without me.”
“I’m perfectly fine with saying, ‘You guys go do your thing. You guys have more than enough speed to be able to handle it and get the gold medal.’”
Lyles finished the race in 19.70, while fellow American Kenny Bednarek earned silver again.
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