American track star tested positive for COVID-19 before 200 meter race

SAINT-DENIS, France — Noah Lyles said he competed in the 200-meter final − and won a bronze medal − at the Paris Olympics on Thursday night while fighting COVID-19.
Lyles confirmed the news to reporters in the mixed zone after he didn’t win the 200 meters, which has long been his signature event. While wearing a mask, Lyles said he tested positive in the early morning hours of Tuesday. He finished third in the race behind Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Kenny Bednarek, his U.S. teammate.
“It definitely affected my performance,” Lyles said, adding that he’s “more proud of myself than anything, coming out and getting a bronze medal with COVID.”
In a joint statement released later Thursday, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Track and Field said they “swiftly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritize his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors” following Lyles’ positive test.
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” the two entities said. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.
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“As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and (International Olympic Committee) guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance.”
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Lyles, who has a history of asthma, laid on the track almost immediately after crossing the finish line, which is atypical of how he usually acts after a race. He needed medical attention shortly thereafter and, on the broadcast, soon collapsed into a wheelchair. He was talking with medical aides, which had oxygen handy, but Lyles did not appear to take it. He was wheeled off the track.
“I was quite light-headed after that race, (with) shortness of breath and chest pains,” Lyles said. “I was able to catch my breath and get my wits about me. I feel a lot better now.”
Lyles said he tested positive in the early hours of Tuesday morning after experiencing symptoms overnight. He quickly quarantined at a hotel near the Olympic Village, to avoid infecting others, and started taking “as much medication as we legally could,” including Paxlovid.
Despite his diagnosis, Lyles said he never seriously considered not competing; The only reason he wouldn’t have been in the 200-meter final, he said, would’ve been if COVID-19 prevented him from qualifying.
He also did not inform his fellow competitors or teammates, in part to avoid inciting panic and in part because he didn’t want to inform them that he wasn’t operating at 100%. “Why would you give them an edge over you?” he said.
The Paris Olympics have been touted as the first Games to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic, but the disease has continued to infect athletes and impact the proceedings. Media reports have documented dozens of cases during the Games, most notably British swimmer Adam Peaty.
Jonathan Finnoff, who is the USOPC’s chief medical officer, had previously said that U.S. athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 or another respiratory illness would be moved into their own rooms, to prevent the spread of the disease. But they would not be prohibited from training or competing.
“We’ll do that based on their symptoms and how they feel, but we do want to prevent (them) from infecting those around them, and we’ll also provide prophylaxis based on what is recommended by CDC guidelines,” Finnoff said.
For Lyles, it all created a metaphorical door that was left ajar, enabling him to win his second bronze medal in as many Games. He won gold in the men’s 100 earlier this week by five-thousandths of a second.