How COVID robbed Noah Lyles of a historic double

Noah Lyles was set to make history at the games, becoming the first person since Usain Bolt to win an Olympic double in the sprints. It wasn’t to be.

As the American athlete was taken from the field in a wheelchair following his run in the 200m, suffering from the effects of COVID coupled with the intense physical exertion in his bronze medal performance, you couldn’t help but think about the ‘what ifs.’

Just four days prior, Lyles was on top of the world after winning gold in the 100m – a race that has been described as the fastest 100m race in history - with the slowest of the eight finalists clocking an impressive 9.91 seconds. Lyles won with a time of 9.79.

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Lyles' struggles in the 200m became evident only after he finished, as he appeared short of breath and was helped into a wheelchair after being seen lying flat on the track.

He was diagnosed with the virus, which can severely affect the respiratory system, on Tuesday (6 August). He said the virus, which he and his team did their best to hide from his competitors, had severely impacted his preparations.

"I've had to take a lot of breaks," he said, as reported by the BBC. "I was coughing through the night. I'm more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with COVID."

"I was quite light-headed after that race. Shortness of breath, chest pain, but after a while I could catch my breath and get my wits about me. I'm a lot better now."

Lyles had been expected to run in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay races on Thursday night (8 August), but in a social media post that evening he announced: "I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics."

COVID has very much played a role in several campaigns this year, as 45 athletes and officials had tested positive for illnesses throughout the Games, as of Friday, per The Guardian.

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This includes sixteen from the Australian swim team, including Lani Pallister, a medal hopeful in the 1500m freestyle who had to pull out just an hour before the event due to her COVID symptoms. 

Her COVID result has raised concerns that there may be something in the water, figuratively speaking, coming less than a day after British swim star Adam Peaty tested positive on 29 July following his silver medal in the 100m breaststroke.

It also followed as several members of the Australian women’s water polo team, the Stingers, tested positive for the virus on the eve of the Games.

Despite this, it was business as usual for Australia as far as Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares was concerned, telling reporters ahead of the event: "We’re treating Covid no differently to other bugs like the flu – this is not Tokyo," she said, referencing the strict protocols in place at the 2020 games.

Perhaps surprisingly, there were currently no COVID guidelines at the officiating level. "For the moment, nothing official has been implemented by the organizing committee," André-Pierre Goubert, director of the Olympic and High-Performance Sport Center at the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), told the French newspaper Le Monde.

"We have recommended that delegations use their own medical teams to test their athletes before they reach the Olympic Village."

Athletes were all clear to compete, even if they were suffering from covid symptoms. But what did it mean for their performance? COVID can significantly affect the respiratory system, so it’s hard to imagine athletes performing at their best with the virus.

The virus is also highly contagious and can spread easily with minimal contact. Given the close quarters of the athletes, it was a certainty to spread among the teams. 

How much of a bearing this all played out in the Olympic results it's hard to say. Injuries and sickness happen all the time, but should this particular virus be treated differently by the sporting community?

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