USA sprinter Noah Lyles had to be carted off after being stunned by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in the 200-meter finals race on Thursday night.
After claiming Olympic gold in the men’s 100-meter race, Noah Lyles attempted to double down with a second victory in the 200-meter race. But Tebogo pulled off the shocking upset to win gold, with Kenny Bednarek of the United States taking silver.
Cameron Tabatabaie of USA Today shared a two-second clip of a visibly exhausted Lyles having to be carted off following the race. It wasn’t immediately clear if Lyles suffered an injury or was experiencing an asthma episode.
Noah Lyles was just carted off after the men’s 200m
He was able to get into the chair under his own power, unclear if he was injured or having an asthma episode pic.twitter.com/zPpK8CDApz
— Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) August 8, 2024
Soon after, it was reported by both NBC and BBC that Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 two days ago, and that the 27-year-old decided to run anyway. Lyles was also spotted wearing a mask before the race:
Noah Lyles left in a wheelchair with an apparent injury following his bronze finish in the 200M Final… pic.twitter.com/o869GMz0zO
— Guru (@DrGuru_) August 8, 2024
Some are speculating that Lyles has Covid, as he was seen wearing a mask before the race. pic.twitter.com/FFh8qToOOa
— Guru (@DrGuru_) August 8, 2024
Fans on X/Twitter weren’t so sympathetic, however. They decided to poke fun at Lyles while questioning his decision to run despite dealing with COVID-19:
