Noah Lyles fell short of accomplishing the Olympic sprint double, settling for bronze in the 200m after winning gold in the 100m over the weekend at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Botswana's Letsile Tebogo secured gold in Thursday's event with a time of 19.46 - an African record - with American Kenny Bednarek securing silver in 19.62. Lyles, meanwhile, crossed the line in 19.70.
Moments after the race, Lyles crumpled to the track at Stade de France and remained down for several moments. After trying to walk off under his own power, he fell back down to one knee and was eventually taken off in a wheelchair.
According to BBC, U.S. Track and Field disclosed that Lyles tested positive for Covid two days before the 200m, though still decided to compete in the event.
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With the third-place finish, Lyles failed to achieve the Olympic sprint double, which entails earning gold in both the 100m and 200m at the same Olympics. Usain Bolt last accomplished the feat at three straight Games from 2008 to 2016.
Over the weekend, Lyles secured his first Olympic gold medal in the 100m, narrowly edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, United States’ Fred Kerley and South Africa’s Akani Simbine in a historic photo finish.
Lyles has never been shy when it comes to expressing his confidence, going so far as to give himself the title of “fastest man in the world” during the Paris Games opening ceremony. In the leadup to this year’s Games, the Team USA star shared his goal of breaking the 100m American record of 9.69 seconds set by Tyson Gay's American, as well as Bolt’s world record time of 19.19 seconds in the 200m.
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“I am in the best shape of my life,” he told the Daily Mail . “I am seeing times in training I don't usually see. In the 100m, the American record is constantly on my mind. In the 200m, 19.10 is definitely the goal.
“In the indoor season, I improved my 60m time by 1.02 per cent. If I add that on to the 100m, I should break the record. And if I add that to the 200m, I should run 19.10.”
At 9.79 seconds, Lyles fell just short of his lofty goal in the 100m, but will certainly settle for a thrilling first-place finish. As for the 200m, which is often considered Lyles' best event, his 19.70 time was considerably off Bolt's untouchable time.
While making the rounds on late night talk shows, media interviews and public appearances, Lyles also repeatedly divulged his desire to attain four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay. Only Jesse Owens (1936), Bobby Morrow (1956), Carl Lewis (1984) and Bolt (2012 and 2016) have managed to earn gold in all of the three first events at a single Olympics.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show, he told host Jimmy Fallon: “I want to be faster than [Bolt]. But it's not just, you know, good enough to be faster than that. You also have the medals to go with it.
“Okay, well, he's won three already, and he has the world records when he did it. Okay, what do you got to do to be better than that? You got to get four. Nobody’s done four.
“Now you're going on the Mount Rushmore. Now you're the greatest of the great. That's where I'm trying to attain.”
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