After clinching the bronze for the Olympic 200 metres on Thursday evening, Noah Lyles unveiled that he was Covid positive. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who clocked 19.46 seconds, and Kenny Bednarek with a timing of 19.62 seconds outranked the Olympic 100 metres victor, leaving Lyles to mark third position at 19.70 seconds.
Lyles confessed to having Covid by stating that he was tested positive on Tuesday morning at around 5am after experiencing severe chills, muscle pain, and a sore throat – most of these signs and symptoms concurring with that of Covid, during the heart of the night. Lyles informed that the test results came back positive, leading to an immediate quarantine scenario in a nearby hotel to the Olympic Village. He still wished to participate, for which medication within legal limits was provided to him to help his body maintain the momentum.
Lyles emphasised that victory demanded him to give his all from the onset without sparing any energy. That was the chosen strategy. Detailed updates of Olympics day 13 celebrate the smashing of the 400m hurdles worldwide record by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Tebogo outsmarting Lyles in 200m.
Discussing his physical condition, the Olympian revealed he had seen better days and felt quite dizzy post-race, along with shortness of breath and chest discomfort. However, with time, he was able to regain his breath and composure and felt much improved.
Lyles confessed that Covid-19 considerably influenced his performance, which warranted multiple breaks. With frequent coughing spells during the night, he felt a sense of pride for his determination to earn a bronze while being Covid-stricken.
He further mentioned that the information was kept mostly within a small circle consisting of the medical team, coach, and his mother – with the aim of avoiding a widespread panic and enabling others to compete freely. With a competive spirit, Lyles was against giving any advantage to his competitors. His determination for competition was apparent, and had he been unable to reach the final, it would have served as a sign of inability to compete.