Paris Olympics 2024: What happened to Noah Lyles?

To say Noah Lyles had an eventful 2024 Olympics is an understatement. The American runner experienced both success and disappointment while also leaving in a wheelchair. So what happened?

Heading into the game, the track and field star didn’t hold his tongue as he spoke his mind about his intent to win multiple gold medals in Paris. He even hopped onto The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to say as much. He backed up his words by winning the 100-meter finals albeit by a hair — almost literally. Then, he used the post-race press conference to claim he will win the 200-meter and that his competitors will be depressed when he comes off that turn during the race. He even directed his attention to his teammates, saying they won’t win, including Kenny Bednarek.

Well, despite always speaking his mind, he didn’t quite back up his words this time, as Bednarek finished ahead of him, taking silver, and Letsile Twnogo from Botswana won gold. It forced Lyles to settle for bronze, which is something he has not bragged about but should certainly be happy about.

However, immediately after the race, Lyles was seen struggling on the track, asking for water, and very clearly out of breath as if he had just run a marathon, causing people to speculate if he was sick and — if he was — why was he so extremely hyper before the race. In retrospect, it’s incredibly odd to see him waste that energy, especially in a situation where he clearly needed it. He was then taken off the track on a wheelchair.

Later on, he gave an interview while wearing a black mask and said he woke up feeling horrible two days before the race, then tested positive for Covid. “We took it day by day,” he said. “It’s taken its toll for sure.”

However, he refused to use it as an excuse, saying “I ran in worse conditions.” Since he was deemed sick, he was asked if he considered not running in the race, to which he answered, “No.” Lyles was expected to run in the 4x400m relay this weekend, but noted that he wasn’t sure if he would because of his condition. He also stated that he was confident in the other runners who could represent the U.S. team, saying “They’ve proven with great certainty that they can do it without me.”

Social media was soon filled with people suggesting that his demeanor immediately after the race was embellished, with a little bit of exaggeration due to losing. One thing’s for sure: Noah Lyles has a flair for the dramatic, but he does leave the Games with gold, and that’s no exaggeration.