Noah Lyles announced on Thursday night that his Paris Olympic journey is over after testing positive for Covid.
“First I want to thank God for getting me through this entire Olympics!,” Lyles posted on social media before congratulating Botswana’s Tebogo Leslie and fellow American Kenny Bednarek — the top two finishers in the 200m final earlier in the day.
“Finally I want to thank everyone for the supportive messages. I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” he added. “It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart.”
Tebogo won gold with a 19.46 shocker, with Bednarek close behind in 19.46. Lyles settled for the bronze in 19.70 and appeared stunned after the race. He was later carted from the track in a wheelchair.
Lyles abrupt exit from the Paris Olympics caps a week of highs and lows. He had slow starts in his 100m and 200m qualifiers, but took the gold in the 100m final on Sunday in 9.784, after a photo finish.
He hoped to double his gold winning ways on Thursday in the 200m final.
But Lyles told NBC’s Lewis Johnson that he Lyles tested positive for Covid on Tuesday but still opted to run the 200m final.
“I woke up early, about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and I was feeling really horrible and I knew it was more than just being sore from the 100, you know,” Lyles said. “Woke up, went to the doctors and we tested and unfortunately, it came up that I was positive for Covid.”
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(Photo by Petr David Josek/Associated Press)
