Something didn’t make sense when Noah Lyles, the heavy favorite to win the men’s 200-meter final, finished third.
It’s the same result he achieved three years ago in Tokyo, but he has improved considerably in the event with a personal best of 19.31 (the third fastest of all time) 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, as well as needing a wheelchair to get back into the tunnel, it was revealed the 27-year-old had been diagnosed with COVID earlier in the week.
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Bronze medalist Noah Lyles of Team USA wears a mask after competing in the men’s 200 meters final at the Paris Olympics on August 8, 2024. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
“I woke up early, about 5 a.m. Tuesday, and I felt really bad. I knew it was more than just soreness after the 100 meters,” Lyles told NBC. He won gold in that race and was looking to become the first American to do the Olympic double since Carl Lewis in 1984.
Even though he didn’t get the result he wanted, Lyles, whose “dream goal” for these Games was to set a new world record in the event, is taking it positively.
“My first reaction was not to panic, to think that I have been in worse situations. I have raced in worse conditions, I felt like…” he said. “I would say it had consequences, for sure, but I have never been more proud of myself to have been able to come here and get a bronze medal. At the last Olympics, I was very disappointed. This time, I could not be more proud.”
Noah Lyles is pictured after competing in the men’s 200 meters final at the Paris Olympics on August 8, 2024. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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Lyles said he never considered not competing in the final, but then announced he would likely withdraw from the remainder of the Olympics; he was scheduled to compete in the men’s 4×100 metres final on Friday.
“I think this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics. It wasn’t the Olympics I dreamed of, but it left me with so much joy in my heart,” Lyles wrote in an Instagram post.
“I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you’re for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, right? Until next time.”
Lyles had told the show that the rest of the 4×100 team “can handle it without me.”
“I have no problem saying, ‘Go ahead and do your thing. You have more than enough speed to be able to handle the situation and get the gold medal.'”
Noah Lyles is retired from the wheelchair track after competing in the men’s 200 meters final at the Paris Olympics on August 8, 2024. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Lyles finished the race in 19.70, while fellow American Kenny Bednarek again took silver.
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