Noah Lyles Shares Behind-the-Scenes Details of Olympic Covid Diagnosis

On Wednesday, August 21, U.S. track star Noah Lyles appeared on NBC's "TODAY" show to discuss his experience at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He described an emotional rollercoaster after winning gold in the 100m, being diagnosed with COVID-19, and then battling symptoms to take bronze in the 200m.

Lyles was still riding on a "high" after finishing second in both his 100m heat and semifinal, and then winning the final in a photo finish.

That high came crashing down two days later. NBC host Craig Melvin asked Lyles to describe his decision to partake in the 200m after finding out he had COVID-19.

"Oh my gosh I feel horrible, waking up in the middle of the night," Lyles explained. "I'm calling the doctors like we got to get a COVID test. And I'm thinking in my head, the athlete in me is like, 'I want to race no matter what.' But of course, I've got to figure out the rules and everything. And we made sure that we checked with the IOC and they said you are allowed to run as long as you're quarantined.

Lyles then went into detail about the precautions taken following the diagnosis.

"We moved to another hotel," he added. "The doctors were checking on me every hour. When I'm warming up, I'm wearing a mask. Only doctors who wear a mask and gloves can work on me. I'm not even in the group tent. I'm off in the corner of the track, the warm-up track. I'm isolated. I'm wearing a mask throughout the whole process... I don't take it off until we actually get onto the track."

Lyles is known for his outspoken nature and was not hesitant to share his thoughts before and immediately after winning the 100m. He even went as far as saying, "I'll be winning," when asked about the upcoming 200m.

While many fans were unaware that Lyles was battling symptoms, some suspected he used COVID-19 as an excuse after finishing third in the 200m, his "favorite" race.

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