Noah Lyles, the top contender in the men’s 200-meter final, surprised everyone by finishing third. Even though this result mirrored his performance in Tokyo three years ago, Lyles had shown significant improvement, achieving a personal best of 19.31 and winning the world championships in 2022 and 2023. Unfortunately, Lyles had to settle for bronze this time around due to being diagnosed with COVID earlier in the week.
Lyles shared that he woke up feeling terrible on Tuesday morning, despite winning a gold medal in the 100-meter race. His goal for the Olympics was to set a new world record in the 200-meter event, but he had to come to terms with not achieving this dream. Despite the disappointment, Lyles expressed pride in himself for winning the bronze medal, a significant improvement from his previous Olympic performance.
The 27-year-old athlete remained positive, reflecting on his ability to push through tough situations and compete at a high level. While he never considered skipping the final race, Lyles announced that he would likely be withdrawing from the rest of the Olympics, including the men’s 4×100-meter final scheduled for Friday. He acknowledged that his teammates were more than capable of handling the event without him and wished them success in their pursuit of a gold medal.
Lyles finished the 200-meter final with a time of 19.70, with Kenny Bednarek, another American sprinter, earning the silver medal. Despite not achieving his ultimate goal in the Olympics, Lyles expressed gratitude for the experience and the support he received from fans and spectators. He thanked everyone for watching the competition and looked forward to future opportunities to showcase his talent on the track.
