Paris 2024: Moments after Letsile Tebogo placed Botswana 0n the world map, Noah Lyles announces he has Covid,
Olympic 100-meter winner Noah Lyles revealed on Thursday that two days prior to his bronze-winning effort in the men’s 200-meter final, he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Lyles, who was attempting to accomplish a 100-200-meter double in Paris, was wheeled off the track after Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won the men’s 200-meter final.
In an interview with NBC, Lyles said: “I woke up early, about 5:00 am on Tuesday morning and I was feeling really horrible.
“I knew it was more than just being sore from the 100 (metres). We woke up the doctors and we tested and unfortunately, it came up that I was positive for Covid.”
Lyles said the Covid “has taken its toll, for sure.
STRANGE TIMING
Lyles’ announcement came after Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win the Olympic 200 metres in Paris on Thursday.
Tebogo, 21, was able to ease up at the end and still clocked an African record of 19.46sec for gold with American Kenny Bednarek taking silver in 19.62sec and Lyles fading to bronze in 19.70sec.
US Track and Field have confirmed Noah Lyles tested positive for Covid after coming in third in the Men's 200m final.#Paris2024 #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/Ia0Twg1jJF
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 8, 2024
The sole African to have won a short sprint title at an Olympic Games is South African Reggie Walker, over 100m at the 1908 Games in London.
Taking place in the middle of the crowded Stade de France, the final lacked the pre-race fanfare of the 100m.
When cameras rolled and Lyles appeared on the giant screens at each end of the stadium, he was met with an enormous ovation.
Drawn in lane five, outside Alexander Ogando and inside American teammate Erriyon Knighton, the recently crowned 100-meter champion was paired with Tebogo in lane seven.
Cupping his ear to the crowd, the American raced into the stadium just like he had done before the 100-meter final.
But Tebogo continued walking silently and made his way to his blocks.