After securing another medal for Team USA, sprinter Noah Lyles was wheeled off the track in a wheelchair Thursday, New York Post reported.
Lyles, despite a recent COVID-19 diagnosis and noticeable exhaustion, managed to secure a bronze medal in the 200-meter final at the Stade de France. His effort was particularly commendable given the circumstances leading up to the race, according to the New York Post. After a victorious run in the 100-meter final, becoming the first Team USA athlete to win gold in this event in 20 years, Lyles woke up Tuesday feeling unwell.
Breaking !
Noah Lyles has been taken out in a wheel chair . Report says he was diagnosed of Covid before the 200 meters race but still run a came third.
Noah Lyles is a true champion! pic.twitter.com/Gfo3LkNI0x
— Kimpolopoxxx (@kimpolopoxxx) August 8, 2024
Lyles tested positive to COVID-19 but he was determined not to let this setback deter him as he decided to continue with the competition. The impact of the illness was apparent, after finishing third with a time of 19.62 seconds behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and fellow Team USA member Kenneth Bednarek, Lyles was visibly drained, New York Post reported. He collapsed in exhaustion at the end of the race and was later seen being pushed off the track in a wheelchair. (RELATED: NBC Announcer Leigh Diffey Botches Olympics Call Live On-Air, Later Apologizes)
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 4: Noah Lyles of Team United States crosses the finish line during the Men’s 100m Final on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Rodolfo Buhrer/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Reflecting on his performance, Lyles expressed a mix of pride and resilience. “My first thought was not to panic, thinking I’ve been in worse situations,” he explained. “I’ve never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and getting a bronze medal — where last Olympic I was very disappointed [with a bronze medal], and this time, I couldn’t be more proud.”
His mother, Keisha Caine Bishop, and other onlookers were understandably concerned about his condition, but Lyles’s spirit remained unbroken, according to the New York Post. Lyles’s participation in the upcoming 4×100 relay remains uncertain due to his health
