In his attempt to win the 200-meter and 100-meter double at the Olympics in Paris, Noah Lyles was unsuccessful. Although he did receive the bronze, his goal was to become the first American to win both in forty years.
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won the gold in 19.46 seconds, eluding Lyles and American Kenny Bednarek, who grabbed second place.
Lyles said following the race that despite testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, he still decided to compete. To ABC News, his spokesman verified the diagnosis.
Though Lyles finished with a mere 19.70, he was the event’s favorite. He has a season best of 19.53 and a career high of 19.31, both of which were achieved in the 2022 world championships.
After the race, Lyles sat down on the track and appeared to be very tired. After receiving care from medical specialists, he was wheeled off the track.
Tebogo, 21, not only set an African record in the final, but also recorded a career-best time. Three years ago in Tokyo, Lyles also won bronze.
Usain Bolt, who competed in the 100 and 200 meters for the third consecutive Olympics in 2016, is the last individual to have accomplished these feats. The last American to win both the 100 and 200 meters was Carl Lewis, who accomplished the feat in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Tuesday’s competition, which was unusually tight, saw Lyles win the 100 meters.
Read Also: Gabby Thomas Reflects on the Meaning of Wearing the American Flag After Olympic Gold
He won by a mere 0.005 seconds against Kishane Thompson of Jamaica. Lyles was trying to win the 100-meter relay in addition to two individual gold medals at the Paris Games. Lewis, who won the 100-, 200-, and 4×100-meter relays in 1984, is also the last athlete to have done so.
After winning the 100 meters, Lyles was questioned about his thoughts on finishing the triple.
“Pretty confident,” he stated. “I can’t lie.”
In the 4×100 relay, Lyles was predicted to run the anchor leg, and that expectation appears to be confirmed. On Friday at 1:47 p.m. ET, the final will take place. He said he wasn’t sure if he would compete in the 100 meters but that he was leaning away from it.
