Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, American Kenneth Bednarek and American Noah Lyles cross the finish line to finish first, second and third respectively in the men's 200 metres final of the athletics competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 8, 2024.
Odd Andersen | AFP | Getty Images
PARIS – Two days after Noah Lyles announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus, the American sprinter finished third in the 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics, unable to chase down gold medalist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
Lyles clocked 19.70 seconds to take the bronze, behind Tebogo, who clocked 19.46 seconds to win Botswana's first gold medal. American Kenny Bednarek took silver in 19.62 seconds.
Lyles said that after testing positive, he moved to a hotel away from the Olympic Village to isolate himself and arrived for warm-ups before Wednesday’s semifinals wearing a mask. He said he never considered not competing in Thursday’s final and deliberately did not disclose information about his diagnosis.
“You shouldn't tell your competitors you're sick, so why give them an advantage over you?” he said.
Lyles, 27, was in his usual energy when he was introduced before the final, jumping and running down the track before hitting the hurdles as the Stade de France crowd fell silent. Running from the back from the start, Lyles looked nothing like the runner who had won 26 consecutive races since 2021 until finishing second in Wednesday’s semi-final – also behind Tebogo – and had a 38-5 record over the course of the seven other runners in Thursday’s final.
Lyles collapsed at the finish line, then stood cautiously to ask for water and sat back on the track. He was placed in a wheelchair and carried down the field. It was a stark contrast to Sunday night, when Lyles won his first Olympic gold medal by winning the 100 meters by five-thousandths of a second, then secured the 200 as well.
American Noah Lyles reacts after competing in the men's 200 metres final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 8, 2024.
Jules Samad | AFP | Getty Images
Lyles said the positive COVID-19 test “definitely affected my performance,” “but honestly, I'm prouder of myself than anything else that I went out and got a bronze medal with COVID-19 in three days. It's been a wild Olympics.”
In a statement, USA Track and Field said it and the USOC have adhered to guidelines set by the CDC and the International Olympic Committee “to prioritize his health, the well-being of our team, and the safety of our fellow competitors.”
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while preserving their right to compete. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah has elected to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to closely monitor his condition.”
Lyles was trying to become the first man to win both sprints at an Olympics since Jamaican Usain Bolt in 2016, and the first American since Carl Lewis 40 years ago. Lyles’ bronze medal also ended his long-held ambition to become the first track athlete to win four gold medals at a single Olympics since 1984.
He said he would let USA Track and Field decide whether he should run on the U.S. 4x100m relay team that qualified for Friday's final with the fastest time in the heats.
