Botswana's Tebogo wins men's 200m gold; Lyles, battling through COVID, lands bronze
Olympic 100m champion tested positive for virus on Monday, USA Track & Field says
Noah Lyles lost the Olympic 200 metres Thursday, falling to Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, then being tended to by medics who carted him off the track in a wheelchair. Later, wearing a mask as he spoke with reporters, Lyles said he had COVID-19.
After crossing the line third for the second straight Olympics, Lyles fell to his back and writhed on the ground trying to catch his breath. He got to one knee and stayed there for nearly 30 seconds before getting up, asking for water and getting to the wheelchair.
"It definitely affected my performance," Lyles said."But I mean, to be honest, I'm more proud of myself than anything for coming out and getting the bronze medal with COVID."
Lyles said he tested positive early Tuesday morning and quickly got into quarantine, though the U.S. track federation (USATF) said he tested positive on Monday.
"I still wanted to run," he said. "They said it was possible."
A few hours later, Lyle posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the 200 "will be the end of my 2024 Olympics," which would mean he would not run in the men's 4x100m relay final on Friday in which Canada is also a contender. There has been no official word from USATF that Lyles will not run again.
The USATF released a statement saying it and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee adhered to all Olympic and Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
"After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight," the statement said. "We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely."
WATCH | Botswana's Tebogo upsets American stars to win 200m gold:
In the 200, Tebogo, 21, led wire-to-wire and won in 19.46 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in history, but .15 slower than Lyles' top time. Kenny Bednarek finished in 19.62 for his second straight silver, and Lyles, four nights after winning a close-as-can-be 100, ran the curve in 19.70.
"It was really a beautiful race for me," Tebogo said after his victory.
The first sign something might be wrong came a night earlier when Lyles finished second in a lackluster semifinal, then left the track without talking to reporters to head to the medical tent. His coach said he was fine.
It became clear he was not when Tebogo and Bednarek reached the curve in the final.
Lyles was trailing as they headed into the homestretch, which is usually where he puts on a trademark closing finish that has always been the best part of this race. This time — nothing. Only a desperate push to the line then a collapse onto the purple track.
"To be honest, I knew if I wanted to come out here and win, I had to give everything I had from the get-go. I didn't have any time to save energy. So that was kind of the strategy for today."
Lyles was crowned the "Fastest Man Alive" by edging out Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second in the the 100m champion on Sunday.
McLaughlin-Levrone breaks own world record in 400m hurdles
An hour after that shock, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lowered her world record for the sixth time, finishing the 400m hurdles in 50.37 seconds for another Olympic blowout.
The hurdler expected to challenge her hardest, Femke Bol, finished third, behind American Anna Cockrell, who finished 1.5 seconds behind McLaughlin-Levrone.
This is McLaughlin-Levrone's second straight gold and also the second straight Olympics the virus has played a major role in Lyles' trip to the Games.
Canada's Savannah Sutherland finished seventh.
WATCH l McLaughlin-Levrone sets 50.37 world record to win 400m hurdles:
With files from CBC Sports
