After winning the 100 meters, Noah Lyles misses out on gold in the 200 meters. The reason: the US star has corona.
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- Track and field star Noah Lyles was taken out of the indoor arena in a wheelchair after winning bronze in the 200 meters.
- The US sprinter and his federation then confirmed a coronavirus infection at the Olympic Games in Paris.
- Lyles had already tested positive for the virus on Monday. He spoke to reporters in the interview zone wearing a mask.
Bad luck for 100-meter Olympic champion Noah Lyles. The consequences of an infection detected on Tuesday cost the American all chances of winning the four gold medals he had hoped for on the track. After third place in the 200 meters and the victory of Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, the favorite made public what had slowed him down - and wore an FFP2 mask in the interview area.
"I still wanted to run. They said it was impossible," said Lyles. His time of 19.70 seconds was still very respectable, even if it was almost four tenths of a second off his best time. Lyles initially took a seat in a wheelchair. In addition to the 100 and 200 meters, he also wanted to win the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays.
The US federation had approved the start and had followed a corona protocol since the positive test. "It definitely affected me, but honestly I'm as proud as anything of myself that I went out and got the bronze medal with corona," said Lyles. It was also a big dream come true for him: four gold medals at the same Summer Games. Not even sprint legend Usain Bolt has managed that.
The 27-year-old missed out on Olympic victory in the 200m, just like in 2021. The difference: there were no spectators in the stadium at the Summer Games in Tokyo and it would have been impossible to compete with a coronavirus infection.
After his victory in the 100-meter race at the beginning of the week, Lyles sent a message via X: "I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety and depression. But I'm telling you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why you don't!"
Lyles, who came from a poor background and had to overcome many problems as a child, simply never wanted to accept that there were people who told him he wouldn't amount to anything.
Too much show?
The flamboyant Lyles, who animates the audience with great facial expressions and gestures before his starts, may be the face of athletics on the one hand, but the 27-year-old also has many critics on the other. On X, many users accuse him of using the effects of the coronavirus infection and the wheelchair action as an excuse for third place, as Lyles was still jumping around before the race.
Tebogo shoots against Lyles
While Noah Lyles congratulated the winner Letsile Tebogo on X, the man from Botswana was asked at the press conference after his victory whether he was now aiming for world records and wanted to be the face of athletics. His answer: "I can't be the face of athletics because I'm not an arrogant or loud person like Noah (Lyles)."
The attack on Lyles can also be seen as a retort. After all, the three-time world champion in the 200 meters trumpeted "I will win" before the race and promised his competitors: "When I come out of the bend, they will get depressed."
