PARIS — Two days after Noah Lyles said he had tested positive for Covid, the American sprinter finished third in the 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics, a result that ended his much-discussed ambitions of equaling feats not accomplished since Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis.
Lyles ran 19.70 for bronze, behind Letsile Tebogo’s 19.46, which earned the first gold medal in Botswana’s history. American Kenny Bednarek earned silver in 19.62.
Later Thursday, Lyles said his Paris Olympics were over in a post on Instagram.
“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” he said. “It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart.”
He continued: “I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you?” A winky-face emoji was in place at the end of the caption.
Lyles said that following his positive test, he moved into a hotel away from the Olympic Village to quarantine himself, and he arrived for warmups before Wednesday’s semifinal with a mask on. He said he never considered not competing in Thursday’s final and intentionally did not disclose information about his diagnosis.
“You never want to tell your competitors you’re sick,” he said. “Why would you give them an edge over you?”
Lyles, 27, appeared his usual energetic self when he was introduced before the final, jumping and sprinting down the track before getting into his blocks as a sold-out crowd in Stade de France grew silent. Lyles was running from behind right from the start, looking little like the sprinter who had won 26 consecutive races dating to 2021 until he finished second in Wednesday’s semifinal — also to Tebogo — and who had been 38-5 all-time against the seven other sprinters in Thursday’s final.
At the finish line, Lyles collapsed, then gingerly stood while asking for water and sitting back down on the track. He was put into a wheelchair and carted off underneath the stadium. It was a stark contrast to Sunday night, when he won the first Olympic gold medal of his career by winning the 100 meters by five thousandths of a second and afterward guaranteed that he would win the 200 meters, as well.
Testing positive for Covid “definitely affected my performance,” Lyles said. “But I mean, to be honest, I’m more proud of myself than anything coming out and get the bronze medal with Covid in three days. It’s been a wild Olympics.”
In a statement, USA Track & Field said it and the U.S. Olympic Committee had adhered to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Olympic Committee to “prioritize his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors.”
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”
Asked which IOC protocols an athlete with Covid would be required to follow, Paris Olympics organizers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. USA Track & Field also did not immediately return messages.
Lyles was trying to become the first man to sweep both sprints at an Olympics since Bolt in 2016 and the first from the U.S. since Lewis 40 years ago. Earning bronze also ends Lyles’ much-discussed ambition of becoming the first track athlete to win four gold medals at a single Olympics since 1984.
He said he would let USA Track & Field decide whether he should run on the U.S. 4×100-meter relay team, which qualified for Friday’s final with the fastest time in preliminaries.
