Noah Lyles' search for double gold in this year's Olympics came to a swift end on Thursday when the American sprint star — felled by COVID-19 — suffered a third-place finish at his signature event, the 200m.
Lyles appeared worse for the wear once he sprinted through the finish line, ripping his jersey off and immediately seeking water and medical assistance for his ailment. He was escorted off the track in a wheelchair before appearing on NBC in which he confirmed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 two days ago.
Lyles was far from his best on Thursday, posting a 19.70s finish in the competition, 0.24 seconds slower than that of gold medalist Leslie Tebogo. Entering this year's Games, he appeared likely to take part in three events, not two, with Lyles expected to join the likes of Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman, and Fred Kerley on the U.S.'s 4x100m relay team.
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Those plans now appear up in the air. Here's what you need to know about Lyles' COVID-19 diagnosis, as well as the implications it could have on his participation in the 4x100m relay Friday night.
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Will Noah Lyles compete in men's 4x100m relay?
Lyles will not compete again in the 2024 Olympics following his COVID diagnosis. The 100-meter gold medalist announced on social media Thursday night he will withdraw from his remaining Olympic events, which included the men's 4x100 relay.
"I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics," Lyles wrote in the message. "It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart. I hope everyone enjoyed the show."
It wasn't a surprise. Earlier in the day, Lyles cast doubt he would compete in the 4x100, ending his Games with a gold and bronze medal in the 100 and 200 meters respectively.
"At the moment, I don't know," Lyles said. "I'm feeling more on the side of letting Team USA do their thing. They've proven with great certainty that they can handle it without me. And if that's the case coming off today, then I'm perfectly fine saying 'Hey, you guys go do your thing. You guys have more than enough speed to be able to handle it and get the gold medal."
Lyles offered the following statement on Instagram after making a post celebrating his COVID-addled third-place showing on Thursday.
First I want to thank God for getting me through this entire Olympics! Second I want to congratulate @tebogo_letsile_ , @kenny_bednarek and everyone else on an amazing Olympic 200m final. Finally I want to thank everyone for the supportive messages. I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics. It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart. I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you? 😉
See you next time
At present, it seems as if Lyles is leaning toward not taking part in the 4x100m relay. That's an understandable choice given the amount of pain he appeared to be displaying when the 200m final concluded.
Lyles has been open about his experiences with asthma throughout life, outlining his first memories with the condition during a 2020 interview with CNN .
“So, about 3 to 4, all the way to about 7 years old, I was dealing with asthma and asthma attacks seriously, like in the hospital, maybe every third night; coughing fits, constantly sick because my immune system was weak," Lyles said.
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He appears to have found a way to manage the chronic illness, claiming four individual world titles to go along with his Olympic medals over the course of his glittering career. Nevertheless, you're never quite sure how COVID-19 will impact one's respiratory system, particularly when the person in question already deals with a respiratory illness.
USA Track and Field gave Lyles the responsibility of deciding whether he was to compete or not in the 200m. If that decision is any precedent, then it's likely Lyles will then be asked whether he feels capable of participating in the 4x100m. If not, he'll see his spot on the team filled by one of Courtney Lindsey or Kyree King. He wouldn't receive a medal if the U.S. were to finish in the top-three places in that case, as he wouldn't have taken part in either prelims (which took place earlier on Thursday) or finals.
The U.S. team — which Bednarek is also expected to join on Friday — posted a scorching 37.47s time to win the first heat of Thursday's 4x100m relay prelims. The Americans quartet featured Coleman, Lindsey, Kerley. and King.
The U.S. hasn't won a gold medal in the event since the 2000 Sydney Games.
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