IIn an unimaginable scene at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Noah Lyles — who wore a black mask — told a group of unmasked journalists in a sweaty indoor venue in France on Thursday night: “Yes, I have COVID.”
Lyles said he woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday feeling chills, aches and a sore throat. “These were a lot of the symptoms I always had before I got COVID,” Lyles told reporters after finishing third in the 200, a race he was favored to win. He was the three-time world champion in that event. Lyles left the track in a wheelchair at the Stade de France and felt dizzy and short of breath. But he was fine now.
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“I was like, I need to test this one out,” Lyles said. He tested positive for COVID-19, Lyles said, around 5 a.m. Tuesday. Lyles quarantined in a hotel near the Olympic Village, he said, and began taking Paxlovid to treat his symptoms. “I still wanted to run,” Lyles said. “We just stayed away from everyone and tried to deal with it round by round. And you know, to be honest, I knew if I wanted to come here and win, I was going to have to give everything I had from the beginning. I didn’t have time to save energy. So that was kind of a strategy.”
Lyles played in the semifinals – with COVID-19 – on Wednesday night.
There is no general COVID-19 protocol for athletes at the Paris Olympics. Each federation can create its own rules and it appears that teams make decisions on a case-by-case basis. Because Lyles is participating in an outdoor event, transmission rates and the risk of infection to others are relatively low. Silver medalist Kenny Bednarek of Team USA said he had no problem with Lyles hugging him after the race.
200m winner Letsile Tebogo of Botswana also did not object to Lyles’ queue for the race. “I wouldn’t say we’re at risk because it’s not a contact sport,” Tebogo said. He thought something might be wrong with Lyles when he saw him keeping himself isolated in the warm-up area before the race. “I thought maybe it was just one of those days where he’s not having a great day,” Tebogo said. “I didn’t think about COVID or anything else.”
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Lyles kept the news of his diagnosis under control; his family, medical team and coach knew, he said after the race. “We didn’t want everyone to panic,” he said. “We wanted to be able to make it as discreet as possible. You never want to tell your competitors that you are sick. Why would you give them an advantage over you?
In a statement, the sport’s governing body, USA Track & Field (USATF), said it and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) supported Lyles’ decision to compete. “Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while defending their right to compete,” USATF said in a statement. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah has chosen to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to closely monitor his condition. As an organization, we strictly adhere to CDC, USOPC and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses in order to prevent the spread of illness among team members while safeguarding their health and performance.”
Lyles believes COVID-19 has impacted his performance. He coughed all night. “To be honest, I’m more proud of myself than anything,” he said. “Coming out to win the bronze medal with COVID [for] three days.”
Lyles wasn’t sure if he would run the 4×100 relay tomorrow night. “I will be very honest and transparent with them and let them make the decision,” he said. “I believe that whatever happens, this four-for-one team can handle anything and everything. I was with them in training, they are more than capable of coming away with a victory.”
In Tokyo, Lyles believed COVID-19 isolation rules and the lack of fans in the stands due to the pandemic prevented him from winning gold. (He was also the favorite in that race. He also won bronze.) This time, he contracted COVID-19. Lyles enjoyed his moment of glory on Sunday night with his victory in the 100 meters.
At the same time, the Games were cruel to Lyles. —with reporting by Alice Park/Saint-Denis, France
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
