Noah Lyles' Absence Leads To Huge Mistake That Disqualifies USA Men's 4x100 Relay Team

USA didn't have a very good outing in the men's 4x100 relay event on Friday, and it may be tracked back to the absence of Noah Lyles.

After winning gold in the men's 100m event, Lyles secured bronze in the 200m event, but revealed he had COVID-19 after the race, and that it would be his final event of the Games.

As a result, USA was without him for the 4x100 relay. The squad ended up getting disqualified on the first leg of the race after Christian Coleman bumped into Kenny Bednarek while passing him the baton, leading to a disappointing finish for one of the favorites to win gold heading into the action.

While Lyles' absence didn't directly lead to this happening, it's fair to wonder whether or not things would have played out differently had he been able to participate in this event.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to give it a go, and the team wasn't able to pick up the slack and earn another medal for their country.

While it may be viewed as a missed opportunity for Lyles, he still racked up a pair of medals at the Games in what will surely be considered a successful Olympic outing for him.

Related: Gabby Thomas Shares Awesome Reaction To Sha'Carri Richardson's 4x100 Relay Heroics