Noah Lyles took home the bronze medal in the men’s 200m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics two days after being diagnosed with COVID.
Team USA’s Lyles, 27, won bronze in the tightly-contested race on Thursday, August 8, his second medal in Paris. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won gold with Lyles’ fellow American Kenny Bednarek taking home silver. Lyles finished with a time of 19.70 seconds, which was .24 seconds off Tebogo’s winning pace.
After the race, Lyles looked absolutely gassed, falling to the track as he attempted to regain himself. “He looks like he is struggling to breathe,” NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey said.
Moments later, NBC Sports reported Lyles had been diagnosed with COVID on Tuesday, August 6, but decided to race anyway. COVID guidelines in Paris do not require athletes to isolate or miss events.
Lyles — who was seen wearing a mask shortly before the race — was greeted by medical staff who eventually put him in a wheelchair to escort him off the track. NBC reported Lyles’ mother Keisha was “distraught” trying to find her son, who has a history of asthma, after the race.
Lyles won gold in the men’s 100m final on Sunday, August 4 in a race that was decided by 0.0005 seconds. The American barely eclipsed Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who won silver. Lyles’ Team USA compatriot Fred Kerley took home bronze.
After the race, Lyles posted an inspirational message on social media to his followers.
“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression,” he wrote via X. “But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!”
Lyles — who has never lacked for confidence — said “it feels good to back it up” after winning gold in the 100m.
While his eyes remained set on the upcoming 200m, he didn’t shy away from discussing his post-Olympics plans, too.
“I want my own shoe,” Lyles boasted after winning his first gold medal. “I want my own trainer — I’m dead serious. There ain’t no money in spikes, it’s in sneakers. And even Michael Johnson didn’t have his own sneaker. I feel like for how many medals we bring back, for the notoriety we get…the fact that that hasn’t happened, that’s crazy to me. I was like, ‘Yeah, that needs to happen.’”
Prior to competing in this year’s Olympics, Lyles exclusively told Us Weekly that his critics just haven’t taken the time to get to know him.
“The most misunderstood thing is the balance between cocky and confident,” Lyles said. “There is a strong line that people assume my confidence is cockiness. I will say this. Anybody who thought I was cocky and met me, they’re instantly like, ‘Oh, that’s the nicest, coolest guy I’ve ever met in my life.’”
Lyles continued, “I never blame anybody who thinks that I’m cocky. It’s just a ‘you haven’t met me situation.’ That’s all.”
Up next, Lyles is tentatively scheduled to compete in the men’s 4×100 relay final on Friday, August 9 where he would look to take home his third medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, his health status remains in the balance.
