)
Noah Lyles has opend up about the challenges he faced during the Paris 2024 Olympics after contracting COVID-19 just before competing.
Reigning Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles has opened up about his battle with COVID-19 during the Paris 2024 Olympics, revealing how the illness almost derailed his quest for Olympic glory.
The American sprinter, who managed to clinch a bronze medal in the 200m event despite his health struggles, shared his harrowing experience on a recent episode of the Night Cap podcast.
)
20:00 - 18.08.2024
Malaika Mihambo: Ancestry, age, wealth, education and love life
Discover the inspiring journey of Malaika Mihambo, a world-class long jumper balancing athletic excellence with education and cultural pride.
Lyles, who finished the 200m race in third place with a time of 19.70 seconds, tested positive for COVID-19 just days before competing.
His symptoms started to manifest shortly after his gold-medal performance in the 100m, where he narrowly secured victory by a mere five-thousandths of a second in a photo finish.
“Now looking back, there were signs on the day of the final of the 100m that this was taking too much energy to produce what I normally produce. I just threw it to the side," Lyles recounted.
The sprinter initially dismissed the early symptoms, attributing his sore throat and fatigue to the intensity of competition.
"Then, I wake up the next day and it’s Monday now after the finals and I have a sore throat. I’m thinking, ‘OK. Maybe I just cheered a little too much. Maybe I was yelling a little too much.’ Even though I didn’t really feel like I was I just put it off to that because I had a job to do," he added.
)
18:37 - 15.08.2024
LIST: 5 of the most educated Olympians who competed at Paris Olympic Games
From winning medals on the Olympic stage to pursuing Master's degrees, a list of five of the most educated Olympic athletes who were in action at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
However, by Tuesday morning, Lyles' condition had worsened significantly.
"It wasn’t until I woke up in the middle of the night on Tuesday morning and my body was aching. I’ve got chills. I’ve got a headache. My sinuses are running. My throat is super sore. I’m like, ‘Oh no. These are all the signs I get before I get COVID.’ I called up the doctors in that moment and said, ‘We need to test. We need to test now,’" Lyles revealed.
Despite the positive test result, Lyles was determined to compete in the 200m event, even though his initial game plan had to be abandoned.
“I had a plan before I got to the 200m and now my plan is out the window. Right now, I’m just trying to get as healthy as possible. They put me on the COVID medication…I’m trying to go through warmups and trying to get as normal as possible each round. I’m trying to throw away any negative thought that I have and keeping that confidence and that idea believing I’m in the shape of my life,” he said.
)
15:00 - 18.08.2024
The billions Simone Biles sits on while her birth mother claims to struggle in poverty
US gymnast Simone Biles enjoys immense wealth while her estranged mother Shanon Biles struggles with poverty and seeks reconciliation.
The decision to compete despite his illness was not taken lightly. Lyles disclosed that there were discussions with the Team USA doctors about whether he should withdraw from the race.
“Yeah, that was a conversation. While I was getting tested, I was talking to the Team USA doctors and they were telling me what the rules are. They changed them from Tokyo. They said that anyone who has COVID is allowed to compete. It’s up to the governing body of their sport or their country to decide how they want to handle the COVID situation."
In the end, Lyles chose to race, driven by the belief that he might not have another chance.
“As soon as I heard I got COVID and I was able to compete, I said ‘I am going to try.’ I’m not promised tomorrow, so I’m going to take advantage of what I have today," he explained.
)
13:28 - 18.08.2024
Faith Kipyegon, Gabby Thomas & Alexis Holmes among stars set for historic prize purse at Athlos track event
Athlos NYC offers the largest prize in women's track history, featuring stars like Faith Kipyegon at Icahn Stadium on September 26.
His perseverance paid off, as he managed to secure a bronze medal despite the odds.
“The fact that I was able to get to the finals and still grab bronze, that was a medal I could’ve easily just said ‘Nah I got the gold, I’m good.’ No! I’m here now, I fought for this for 4 years. I trained for this for 4 years. Why not take the opportunity?”
Lyles finished third in the 200m final with a time of 19.70 seconds, behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who took gold with a time of 19.46 seconds, and his U.S. teammate Kenneth Bednarek, who claimed silver with 19.62 seconds.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)