A few days ago, Letsile Tebogo won the 200-meter Olympic gold medal at the Stade de France, followed by Kenny Bednarek in second and Noah Lyles in third. However, Lyles simply sat down on the track after the race, unable to get back up, leaving supporters anxious for the athlete’s well-being.
Later, it was informed by the officials that the athlete tested positive for COVID-19, and everyone was astonished to learn about it. However, the six-time world champion recovered in a few days and recently appeared in an interview with Sky News’ Rob Harris on YouTube, where he described his perplexed emotions while suffering from illness during the event.
The host wanted to know the Olympic sprinter’s immediate reaction when he found out he had COVID-19. Lyles revealed that he first tried not to panic because he knew how he was in worse conditions in the past and he still performed. He mentioned,
“It was very shocking, truthfully, because I already admit wearing a lot of masks. I wash my hands, and very conscious of trying not to get sick at Championships.”
He further mentioned how he took it one day at a time and tried to keep himself as hydrated as possible. Recalling the horror, the newly crowned 100-meter Olympic champion revealed how he arrived at the Olympic Village, he felt quite self-conscious. He prioritized his hygiene in order to avoid contracting any ailment that could impair his performance.
Noah Lyles was also mindful of his popularity, so he avoided making too many contacts with the people in the Olympic village and stayed as far away as possible. Even after taking all precautions, he was taken aback when found out that he was diagnosed with the virus.
Despite his condition, the American sprinter was able to win the bronze medal, which piqued the interest of the interviewer, who wanted to know Lyles’ mental state. The athlete responded to Rob Harris by saying:
“It’s funny the joke right now is whenever I’m off my game I always run 19.7. It was apparently fast enough to always get bronze.”
Thank God, I am Covid free. pic.twitter.com/FAy0Xvicl4
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) August 10, 2024
Prior to the Paris Olympics’ 200-meter finals, Noah Lyles was the fan favorite to win the race. He won gold in the 100 meters with a margin of 0.005 seconds against Kishane Thompson, and because he had an undefeated record in the 200-meter category, including a world lead of 19.51 seconds in the current season, all eyes were on him at the Stade de France.
However, because of COVID-19, the athlete wasn’t able to push beyond his limits and had to settle for the bronze medal with a time of 19.70 seconds. Lyles tested negative a few days ago, and after he recovers completely, he will be ready to get started for the remainder of the 2024 season.
