Lyles, who was diagnosed with COVID-19, fell to his back after the 200 meters and eventually sat up to be tended to by medics who rushed out onto the track.
PARIS, France — Noah Lyles indicated he would not run in the men’s 4×100-meter relay as planned after he was carted away from the track after finishing third the 200 meters.Â
It was revealed after the race he had been diagnosed with COVID-19.Â
“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” he wrote in a post on Instagram Thursday night. “It is not the Olympics I dreamed of but it has left me with so much joy in my heart.”
He was scheduled to compete in the 4×100-meter relay final on Friday.Â
“I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you?” Lyles added in his post, with a winking emoji. “See you next time.”
After crossing the finish line in the 200-meter race, Lyles fell to his back and eventually sat up to be tended to by medical staff. In an interview after the race, Lyles confirmed he had been diagnosed with COVID two days earlier.Â
“Yeah, I woke up early about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning and, you know, I just was feeling really horrible and I knew it was more than just being sore from the 100. We tested and unfortunately, it came up that I was positive for COVID.
“My first thought was not to panic and I was thinking I’ve been in worse situations, I’ve run with worse conditions I felt and we just took it day by day and trying to hydrate as much quarantined off. I definitely say that it’s taken its toll for sure, but I’ve never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and, and getting a bronze medal where last Olympics, I was very disappointed.”
The U.S. track federation released a statement saying it and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee adhered to all Olympic and Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
It’s the second straight Olympics the virus has played a major role in Lyles’ trip to the Games. He also won the bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, and he has said the empty stands and a year delay before the Games led to depression that he said hampered his performance and inspired his road to Paris.
Minutes before the men’s 200-meter final, Lyles was seen wearing a medical mask on the TV broadcast of the race.Â
The athlete, who was named the World’s Fastest Man after clinching gold in the 100-meter dash, was spotted with a mask during the semifinal round on Wednesday.Â
Lyles isn’t the first Olympian to be impacted by COVID at the Paris Games. British swimming star Adam Peaty tested positive for COVID-19 less than 24 hours after winning a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke.Â