COVID-Stricken Noah Lyles Collapses After Getting Bronze, One Of 8 US Medals At Olympic Track

Saint-Denis, France — The first inkling of trouble came Thursday night, as Noah Lyles began rounding the curve in the Olympic final of the 200 meters, his finest race.

Normally, around the turn, Lyles begins to gain ground before breaking away from what have been game but overmatched opponents for the past three years.

This time, his momentum had slowed. Instead of Lyles reeling in the runner two lanes to his right, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo pushed farther away. The American favourite, who had not lost in the 200 in three years, laboured to the finish and slumped on the track after finishing third.

The insidious specter of COVID, the killer virus that upended the world four years ago and claimed the last Olympics as collateral damage, struck again at the Paris Games.

COVID-Stricken Noah Lyles Collapses After Getting Bronze, One Of 8 US Medals At Olympic Track

In a sobering reminder that the virus is still very much a factor, even if its lethal fingerprint has been blunted, the world’s marquee sprinter, racing on the world’s biggest sports stage, revealed he had tested positive two days before his shocking, but now not-unexplainable, bronze-medal finish in the 200.

“I still wanted to run,” Lyles said, donning a mask as he spoke to reporters, whose very presence in a crowded scrum beneath the stadium was unfathomable three years ago at the postponed Tokyo Olympics. “They said it was possible.”

Lyles ran with the approval of USA Track and Field officials and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who stated that they followed protocol.

He completed in 19.70. That was.39 off his best and.24 behind Tebogo, 21 years old. Lyles’ American teammate Kenny Bednarek finished second, making it the second straight Olympics in which he and Lyles finished 2-3.

“When I saw Kenny fade, I knew Noah was far, far, far away behind us,” Tebogo told me. “So that means I’m the Olympic champion.”

It was Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone vs her world record.
An hour later, American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lowered her world mark for the sixth time, finishing the 400-meter hurdles in 50.37 seconds to seal another Olympic victory.

On a night jam-packed with key events, the United States won three gold medals and eight.

Tara Davis-Woodhall won the long jump after jumping 7.10 meters, joining legends like Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Brittney Reese in the Olympic record books.

Grant Holloway won gold in the 110 hurdles, reclaiming the Olympic crown he lost three years ago in his sole major championship loss.

Lyles appeared like a sure thing until things got odd the night before.
Lyles, the three-time world champion with the American record and the world’s best time of 2024 on his resume, appeared to be as confident in the 200 as any single-track athlete this side of McLaughlin-Levrone.

After winning the 100 meters four nights before, he was attempting to become the first guy to achieve the 100-200 double since Usain Bolt eight years ago.

A disturbing hint, however, came the night before, when Lyles finished second in his semifinal heat, again against Tebogo. It was his first loss in a 200-meter event since finishing third in Tokyo.

He quickly ran out of the stadium after the loss and proceeded to the medical tent, which was unusual for him not to stop and speak with the media. His coach stated that he was all right.

Lyles stated that he tested positive two days after the 100 final.
It turns out he wasn’t. Lyles said he tested positive early Tuesday morning and was soon placed in isolation.

He consumed fluids, rested as much as possible, and attempted to prepare for the marathon. According to the USATF, Lyles underwent “a thorough medical evaluation” before deciding to compete.

“We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely,” the statement stated.

The aftermath of the race was unsettling. Lyles, usually one of the most active guys on the track before and after each run, slumped, lay onto his side, and struggled for air. He rolled over on his hands and knees, then lowered to one knee and steadied himself with his fist.

He eventually got up and wobbled towards the medics, signaling for a cup of water. Then he exited in a wheelchair.

“There was definitely an effect,” Lyles stated. “But I mean, to be honest, I’m more proud of myself than anything for coming out and getting the bronze medal with COVID.”

This third medal seems distinct from the previous one. The full impact of the race will take time to manifest itself.

Lyles still has a chance to become the bigger-than-track sensation he aimed for after his setback in Tokyo three years ago.

Those Games, held in front of no fans while the COVID pandemic raged, took a mental health toll on Lyles, which he claimed made him feel less than himself and contributed to his terrible performance in Tokyo.

After winning the 100 on Sunday night, he took out his Tokyo bronze medal during his press conference, placed it on the table, and explained that it inspired him to become a new person and sprinter for this Olympic cycle.

The 100-meter thriller closed the first half of the deal. But instead of cruising through the 200, simply getting to the starting line became a result of ‘trying to get me on as much medication as we legally could to make sure that my body was able to just keep the momentum going’.

Lyles says he won’t run in the 4×100 relay.
As Thursday turned into Friday in Paris, Lyles took to social media to thank fans for their encouraging remarks and congratulate Tebogo and Bednarek.

COVID-Stricken Noah Lyles Collapses After Getting Bronze, One Of 8 US Medals At Olympic Track

He also stated, “I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” as he was scheduled to run the anchor leg in the men’s 4×100 final on Friday.

“It is not the Olympics I dreamed of, but it has left me with so much joy in my heart,” he wrote in his blog. “I hope you all enjoyed the show. Whether you were pulling for or against me, you had to confess you watched, right?”

The extravaganza Lyles fronted struck a gloomy note at a revitalised Olympics that were supposed to be all about returning fans and resurrecting the Games as we knew them.

Lyles reminded us that there will be no “post-COVID” Games.

A gold javelin for Pakistan and silver for India.
Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan had the best meet of his life, winning the men’s javelin at the Stade de France.

Nadeem set a new Olympic record by winning gold. In his second effort, he threw 92.97 meters, breaking the previous record of 90.57 established by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen in 2008.

Neeraj Chopra, India’s 2020 Olympic champion, won silver in 89.45 meters, a season best.

SOURCE | AP