Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles said Thursday he tested positive for Covid two days before his bronze medal-winning performance in the men's 200m final.
Lyles, who had been bidding to complete a 100m-200m double in Paris, was taken off the track in a wheelchair following the men's 200m final, won by Botswana's Letsile Tebogo.
In an interview with NBC, Lyles said: "I woke up early, about 5:00 am on Tuesday morning and I was feeling really horrible.
"I knew it was more than just being sore from the 100 (metres). We woke up the doctors and we tested and unfortunately, it came up that I was positive for Covid.”
Lyles said the Covid "has taken its toll, for sure."
US Track and Field have confirmed Noah Lyles tested positive for Covid after coming in third in the Men's 200m final.#Paris2024 #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/Ia0Twg1jJF
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Strange timing
Lyles’ announcement came after Botswana's Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win the Olympic 200 metres in Paris on Thursday.
Tebogo, 21, was able to ease up at the end and still clocked an African record of 19.46sec for gold with American Kenny Bednarek taking silver in 19.62sec and Lyles fading to bronze in 19.70sec.
The sole African to have won a short sprint title at an Olympic Games is South African Reggie Walker, over 100m at the 1908 Games in London.
The final lacked the pre-race hype of the 100m, falling mid-session at a packed Stade de France.
Lyles was given a huge reception when introduced as cameras showed him up on the big screens at either end of the stadium.
The newly crowned 100m champion was drawn in lane five, outside Alexander Ogando and inside American teammate Erriyon Knighton, while Tebogo was in seven.
The American bounded into the stadium, as he had done before the 100m final, cupping his ear to the crowd.
Tebogo, however, walked quietly on and went straight to his blocks.
AFP
Letsile Tebogo puts Botswana on top of the world 🤯![CDATA[]]>🤯
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#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/ay0ajQCFsC