It has been revealed that Noah Lyles is suffering from COVID after he only managed a bronze medal in the 200m final.
On Thursday night, the men’s 200m took centre stage as Lyles looked to win a sprint double.
The American won gold in the 100m earlier in the week beating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and USA teammate Fred Kerley.
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However, Lyles ended up finishing in third place behind USA teammate Kenny Bednarek and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.
Tebogo’s victory meant he won his country’s first-ever gold medal at the Olympics.
During the aftermath of the race, four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson said: “He certainly isn't carrying an injury because you can't do this with an injury, you can't run 19.70.
“If there's anything, there's some sort of illness that has zapped his energy from the ability to actually carry that speed all the way through.”
After Johnson's comments, it was revealed by BBC presenter Gabby Logan that Lyles was in fact suffering from COVID.
On Lyles’ COVID diagnostic, Johnson said: “[The medics] would've given him the OK to race, he's probably not in danger of anything by racing other than being 100 per cent and able to perform the way that he would want to.”
On commentary, two-time world champion hurdler Colin Jackson was full of praise for the winner Tebogo.
He said: “Look how easy and relaxed he looks, so controlled.
“He most probably at this stage looking into the big screen in front of him and going 'well there's nobody around me, this is my gold medal’.”
Fellow commentator Andrew Cotter added: “A man who is not just running for himself, Letsile Tebogo, but running for his mother who died a couple of months ago.
“He said he is going to do this for her. He has done that.”
Topics: Athletics, Olympics, Fan Reactions
Marcus Chan