“Wildly Irresponsible”: Noah Lyles Faces Backlash Over COVID Announcement, Sparking Questions About Paris Olympics’ Protocols

Radha Iyer | 09/08/2024
“Always Looking to Icon Status”: Track Veterans Discuss Noah Lyles’ Potential Strategy to Stay in the Global Top 5

The Paris Olympics took a bleak turn for the sprinting icon, Noah Lyles, who was down with Covid-19. While he still managed to put up a great show at the Men’s 200m race, bagging a bronze along the way, he was still quite out of breath by the end.

Fans were surprised because Lyles had been doing promisingly well this season and they saw him go off track in a wheelchair at the end of the race. Later, officials revealed that Lyles had COVID-19 and, while he was stable, couldn’t give his best performance on the track.

This prompted a series of comments and reactions from the track and field world who were curious about the whole situation. Lyles returned later for a solo interview explaining how he was recovering, but fans had a bone to pick about the Olympics’ protocols in such situations.

Several pointed out how Lyles had been hugging his teammates and competitors after the race, despite knowing he wasn’t doing well.

But some were in awe of how he pushed through both COVID-19 and his asthma to win a bronze.

Yet, many felt it was wrong for him to be racing, let alone putting a mask on only for the interviews.

This led to criticism of medical officials as well.

Many even held the Olympic committee responsible for letting Lyles race, thus putting other athletes at a higher risk.

Despite ill health, Lyles persevered to run and win a podium position at the race amidst some skepticism. However, this was, unfortunately, his last run at the Paris Olympics since he announced he wouldn’t be moving forth with the other sprints.

His teammate, Kenny Bednarek, has qualified for the relays and will now eye for the gold amongst other promising teams.

Post Edited By: Sampurna Pal
Noah Lyles

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Radha Iyer

Radha Iyer is a US Sports writer at The SportsRush. With a Master's degree in Media and Communication, and a background in content creation and production, sports journalism has been a part and parcel of her demonstrated history in the said field. Olympic sports hold a special place in her heart, and she is particularly interested in sports like track and field, gymnastics, and swimming. She also draws inspiration from legendary athletes like Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, and many more.

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