Noah Lyles decided to run with COVID-19. USOPC CEO is ‘100% comfortable’ with this decision

PARIS– The head of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said she was “100% comfortable” with Noah Lyles’ decision to compete in the 200 meters after test positive for COVID-19 two days before the event.

Lyles did not publicly reveal that he had tested positive for the virus until after he won bronze on Thursday night at the Paris Olympics. It was the first defeat in three years for the American favorite in that event, who was trying to become the first sprinter since Usain Bolt to sweep the 100 and 200 meters.

Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the USOPC, told the Associated Press on Friday that protocols were put in place for Lyles after he tested positive and was closely monitored by USA Track. She said whether Lyles ran or not was up to him to decide.

“I feel 100% comfortable, especially because I understand the caliber and quality of the medical personnel who were paying attention to what was going on,” Hirshland told the AP.

She said the medical team followed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and relied on previous experience treating athletes with the virus.

“We gave Noah as much flexibility as possible in his own choices,” she said. “He had every opportunity to say, ‘I don’t want to compete. I don’t feel good enough to compete or I don’t want to compete.’”

Once he decided to move forward with the competition, the USOPC and USATF established procedures to ensure the safety of Lyles and those around him.

Lyles said after the race that he quarantined, drank fluids and rested as much as possible in preparation for the event. The USATF said in a statement that Lyles received “a complete medical evaluation” and elected to compete.

And although he finished a respectable third race while ill, the three-time world champion collapsed, rolled onto his side and became winded. He rolled over onto his hands and knees, then knelt down and balanced himself with his fist.

He finally got up and staggered towards the doctors, asking for a glass of water. Afterwards, he left in a wheelchair. He wore a mask in the tunnel before the race and again when speaking to reporters.

“I find it extraordinary that he won the bronze medal when he is not 100%. He’s an incredible athlete and he wanted to show that to the world,” Hirshland said. “And he was willing to say, ‘I understand that I’m going to have to do things a little differently than I might have done’ out of respect for both his own health but also other people’s health. I’m not worried about what happened there. We did it the right way.”

The last time Lyles missed the 200 meters was at the Tokyo Olympics, when he won bronze and said he had been struggling with mental health issues during the pandemic.

These Games were held under strict COVID-19 protocols, which included mandatory mask-wearing, daily temperature checks and a contained bubble for 10 days upon arrival in Tokyo. Spectators were not allowed.

Three years later, there are no such protocols in Paris. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said Friday that there are only “general policies.”

“COVID, not just here in France, is being treated like any other respiratory disease. It is now being treated like the flu, so there is no obligation for any special measures or notifications,” Bach said. “The (teams) and athletes have already taken the measures they consider appropriate.”

According to Lyles, he woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday with “chills, aches and a sore throat.” He was quarantined in a hotel near the Olympic Village and said he only told medical staff, his coach and his mother that he was sick.

Lyles said he kept the matter private because he didn’t want the other contestants to find out and have an “advantage” over him.

Hirshland admitted that Lyles would not have been allowed to race if he had tested positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo.

“COVID was a very different thing in Tokyo than it is today,” she said, “in the way it’s affecting people, the risks associated with it, the symptoms, and actually how it’s making people feel. if. This is the thing we have to understand. It is a very different condition from what existed at that time.”

In addition to isolation and the treatment itself, Lyles did not need to follow many guidelines.

Hirshland said quarantining Lyles was the most important thing, but adjustments also had to be made to his nutrition.

There was also consultation about his treatment.

“Are you going to take medicine? Are these medicines prohibited? Hirshland said. “There’s a lot of complexity in these decisions, and you want to make sure everyone understands what the options are and how to think about how it might affect your body, your performance and how you feel.”

Although Lyles said he avoided people, he was seen hugging gold medalist Letsile Tebogo after the race.

Tebogo, who said he saw Lyles warming up wearing a face mask and suspected something was wrong when he beat him in the semifinals, said he didn’t know Lyles had COVID. He also said he wasn’t bothered by Lyles competing because running is “not a contact sport.”

Lyles posted on Thursday night that he I didn’t expect to compete again in these Games.

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