No Olympic sprint double for American Noah Lyles after COVID diagnosis

Caption

Letsile Tebogo, of Botswana, second left, won the men's 200-meters final at the Paris Olympics in Saint-Denis, France, on Thursday / AP

NPR is in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. For more of our coverage from the games head to our latest updates.

SAINT-DENIS, France — The first shocker came when Noah Lyles, the fastest man on Earth, won bronze in his specialty event, the 200-meter. Then, moments after race on Thursday night, the other shoe dropped: Lyles said he’d tested positive for COVID two days earlier.

After crossing the finish line, Lyles looked ill, bent down to the ground, struggled to control his breath, and called for water. He was later seen rolling out in a wheelchair.

Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won gold and Kenneth Bednarek came in second place for silver.

It wasn't revealed until after the race that Lyles -- fresh off winning the 100-meter sprint on Sunday -- had tested positive for COVID on Tuesday.

On the NBC broadcast after the race, Lyles appeared wearing a mask and confirmed the diagnosis.

"I woke up early, about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning just feeling really horrible," he told the Olympics broadcaster. "Unfortunately, it came back that I was positive for COVID."

"My first thought was not to panic, you know, thinking I've been in worse situations — worse conditions, I've felt," he said.

He said he never considered skipping out on the race.

"We just took it day by day, trying to hydrate as much, quarantined off," Lyles said. "It's taken it's toll for sure but I've never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here, and getting a bronze medal."

USA Track & Field confirmed Lyles’ diagnosis in a statement to NPR after the race.

"In response, [the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee] and USATF swiftly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritize his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors,” the organization said, adding that it has been following CDC guidelines to prevent the illness’ spread.

“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.”

Lyles has one final event — the men's 4 x 100m relay on Friday — but said he isn't sure whether he will stay in the race.

"At the moment, I don't know. I'm feeling more on the side of letting Team USA do their thing. They've proven with great certainty that they can handle it without me."

Before the crowd of 80,000 at the Stade de France, the 27-year-old was hoping to go down in sprint double history -- aiming to be just the 10th man to win the 100- and 200- meter races in a single Summer Games.

Only nine men have pulled off the sprint double this before. One of those men — Jamaican Usain Bolt — did it at three straight Olympics. The last time an American managed the sprint double was Carl Lewis 40 years ago in 1984.

After winning his 100-meter race, Lyles posted a motivational message to his social media:

“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression,” he said. “But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!”