Noah Lyles Tested Positive for Covid-19 Before Winning Bronze Medal in Men’s 200m Final

Noah Lyles, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, finished third in the men’s 200m final at the Paris 2024 Games after testing positive for Covid-19. Despite a strong start, Lyles couldn’t sustain his speed, allowing Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo to surge ahead and clinch gold with a time of 19.46 seconds.

Lyles’ teammate, Kenneth Bednarek, made a remarkable late push to grab the silver, leaving Lyles to settle for bronze. Post-race, the 27-year-old was seen sitting in a chair and was wheeled off the track, raising concerns about his health.

US Track and Field have confirmed Noah Lyles has Covid

He was taken off the track in a wheelchair after winning Bronze in the Men's 200m

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(h/t @BBCSport) pic.twitter.com/ZEeoxBUDAx

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2024

Olympic legend Michael Johnson, during his punditry for the BBC, dismissed the idea of an injury, stating, “He certainly isn’t carrying an injury because you can’t do this with an injury, you can’t run 19.70. If there’s anything, there’s some sort of illness that has zapped his energy.”

Soon after, it was confirmed by US Track and Field that Lyles had run the race despite testing positive for Covid-19.

LETSILE TEBOGO WINS THE MEN’S 200M FOR BOTSWANA! 🇧🇼 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/jL9jm4bTKZ

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024

Lyles had aimed to achieve a rare Olympic treble by winning the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. After a thrilling victory in the 100m final by a mere five-thousandths of a second, he seemed poised to join the ranks of American legends like Jesse Owens, Bobby Morrow, and Carl Lewis, as well as Usain Bolt, in securing the triple. However, just as in his semi-final, Lyles was unable to close the gap on Tebogo in the 200m final.

Letsile Tebogo’s victory was historic, as he became the first African to win the Olympic 200m title, setting an African record and earning Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. Tebogo, who previously won bronze at the World Championships and set a national record in the 100m, delivered a dominant performance, making him the fifth-fastest man in history over the 200m distance.

Kenneth Bednarek, with his second consecutive silver, finished in 19.62 seconds, while Noah Lyles, hoping to become the first American to achieve the sprint double since Carl Lewis 40 years ago, took third.