Noah Lyles wins Olympic bronze in 200m, with Covid

Noah Lyle collapses after winning bronze in the 200 meters with Covid at Paris Olympics

Noah Lyle's collapse and premature exit is a reminder that "there will never be a 'post-Covid' Games"

(Image credit: Jewel Samad / AFP via Getty Images)

published 9 August 2024

What happened

American sprinter Noah Lyles finished third in the men's 200 meters at the Paris Olympics, dashing expectations that he would add a second gold after his thrilling photo-finish win in the 100 meter sprint just days before. Then he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, and left the track in a wheelchair. Lyles later said he tested positive for Covid-19. Botswana's Letsile Tebogo won the race and his country's first-ever Olympic gold medal.

The virus "definitely affected my performance," Lyles said, but "to be honest, I'm more proud of myself than anything for coming out and getting the bronze medal with Covid."

"We're left to wonder whether a healthy Lyles" would have won gold in both the 100 and 200, elevating him to a "track deity" alongside Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt, Jerry Brewer said at The Washington Post. Instead of becoming a "legend," Lyles "became a throwback to a time we've quickly forgotten."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.