The Paris Olympics witnessed an aggressive form of Noah Lyles on the field, who was ready to battle it out against all odds. But, perhaps the tragedy of contracting COVID-19 was what fate intended for the American world champion this season. He had to retire after pushing through the 200m sprint despite winning the bronze medal.
On hearing the news, fans had mixed reactions. Some were in awe of him for beating both asthma and COVID-19 to win a bronze. Meanwhile, others suspected that there was something wrong. Lyles seemed energetic before the race but had to take a wheelchair to exit the track in the end.
Despite all this, one can’t deny that the 27-year-old has gained a lot of attention in the past few years. While he doesn’t mind it at all, his ultimate goal is to direct it all towards the sport that, he feels, needs more spotlight thrown towards it.
View this post on Instagram
In a recent post, Lyles called himself an icon. He hyped himself up and seemed in good spirits. While the Olympics didn’t pan out as he had expected, he will have a lot more opportunities in the rest of this season. Fans expressed their excitement for the same:
“You’re An Icon! Love you!”
Many didn’t want him to focus on the ongoing hate he had been getting since his 200m sprint.
“keep the haters talking champ!”
And some even wanted him to break the 200m record during his next race.
“Ready for the 200m record to be broken…”
One fan pointed out how people might get triggered by whatever he puts up on his social media from now on.
“People are about to get p****d for this post too…”
And lastly, fans hoped for another Olympic redemption at the LA 2028 games.
“I can’t wait to see you in LA 2028…”
