Noah Lyles’ dream start to the 2024 Olympics came crashing down thanks to COVID-19, and now the illness is threatening to cut his time in Paris short, too.
Team USA’s star sprinter posted on Instagram, with part of his caption reading, “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?”
The post came shortly after Lyles finished a disappointing third in the men’s 200 meters, his signature event. He received medical assistance following the race and was wheeled off of the track.
Lyles, who also suffers from asthma, awoke Tuesday with a sore throat, aches and chills, telltale signs to him that he had COVID-19 according to Yahoo! Sports. After a test came back positive, he quarantined in a local hotel, rested, got fluids and loaded up on medicine that wouldn’t violate anti-doping rules. He finished second in a preliminary run Wednesday before Thursday’s bronze.
“It definitely affected my performance,” Lyles said after running a 19.70 seconds, nearly four-tenths slower than his personal best.
He added he did not consider skipping the race, and there are no rules in place prohibiting COVID-positive athletes from competing. Instead, the call is up to the teams and athletes themselves. Lyles was seen wearing a surgical mask prior to the races Wednesday and Thursday.
“After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight,” a statement from USA Track & Field read. “We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely. As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance.”
Lyles was hoping to complete the coveted 100-200 double after winning the 100 meters on Sunday, two days before he started feeling symptoms. He was also expected to compete on the men’s 4×100 relay, though his Instagram post certainly puts that in doubt.
“I’ll talk to the coaches,” Lyles said. “To be honest, I want to be very honest and transparent with them. I’m going to let them make the decision.”
