American sprinter Noah Lyles has officially ended his participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, withdrawing from the 4x100m relay following his COVID-19 diagnosis. This decision comes after Lyles’ dramatic bronze medal performance in the 200m final, where he competed despite testing positive for COVID-19 just two days prior.Lyles, who had won gold in the 100m earlier in the week, revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 around 5 am on Tuesday morning. Despite his illness, he chose to compete in the 200m final on Thursday, finishing third with a time of 19.70 seconds, behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (19.46 seconds) and fellow American Kenny Bednarek (19.62 seconds).The toll of competing while ill was evident as Lyles collapsed after crossing the finish line and had to be taken away in a wheelchair. Despite this, Lyles expressed pride in his achievement, saying, ‘I’m more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with Covid’.In a statement on social media, Lyles announced the end of his Olympic campaign: ‘I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympic Games. They are not the Olympics I dreamed of, but they have left me with a lot of joy in my heart’. He also thanked his supporters and congratulated his fellow competitors.The incident has sparked debate about the risks of competing while ill, with some criticizing Lyles for potentially exposing other athletes to COVID-19. However, Lyles stated that he had been cleared to compete by officials from USA Track and Field and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.Despite the unexpected end to his Olympic journey, Lyles leaves Paris with one gold and one bronze medal. His resilience and sportsmanship in the face of adversity have been widely praised, even as his experience highlights the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19 in international sports competitions.
Key points
- Noah Lyles won bronze in the 200m despite testing positive for COVID-19 two days before the race.
- Lyles has withdrawn from the 4x100m relay, ending his 2024 Olympic campaign.
- The incident has sparked debate about athlete health and safety protocols at the Olympics.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported timing of Lyles’ COVID-19 test, with some sources stating it was two days before the 200m final, while others specify it was on Tuesday morning at 5 am.
