‘I’m More Proud of Myself Than Anything.’ Noah Lyles on Deciding to Race With COVID-19

In a scene unimaginable at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Noah Lyles—who was wearing a black mask—told a bunch of unmasked journalists in a sweaty indoor facility in France on Thursday night: “Yes, I do have COVID.” 

Lyles said he woke up in the middle of the night on Tuesday feeling chills, aches, and a sore throat. “Those were a lot of the symptoms I've always had right before getting COVID,” Lyles told reporters after finishing third in the 200 m, a race he was favored to win. He was the three-time defending world champ in that event. Lyles came off the track on a wheelchair at the Stade de France and felt lightheaded and short of breath. But he was OK now.

Read More: Noah Lyles Wins Olympic Bronze in 200 M Despite Having COVID-19

“I was just like, I need to test this one,” said Lyles. He tested positive for COVID-19, Lyles said, around 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Lyles quarantined in a hotel near the Olympic Village, he said, and started taking Paxlovid to treat the symptoms. “I still wanted to run,” said Lyles. “We just stayed away from everybody, and just try to take it round by round. And you know, to be honest, I knew if I wanted to come out here and win, I had to give everything I had from the get-go. I didn't have any time to save energy. So that was kind of the strategy.”

Lyles ran in the semifinals—with COVID-19—on Wednesday night.

There’s no blanket COVID-19 protocol for athletes at these Paris Olympics. Each federation can sort of make its own rules, and it seems that teams have handled decisions on a case-by-case basis. Since Lyles participates in an outdoor event, rates of transmission and risk of infection to others are relatively low. The silver medalist, Team USA’s Kenny Bednarek, said he had no issue with Lyles hugging him after the race. 

The 200-m winner, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, also did not object to Lyles lining up for the race. “I wouldn’t say we were at risk, because it’s not a contact sport,” said Tebogo. He thought something might be askew with Lyles when he saw him keeping to himself in the warm-up area before the race. “I thought maybe it's just one of those days when he's not having a great day,” said Tebogo. “I didn't think of COVID or anything else.”

Read More: The Inside Story of How Noah Lyles Pulled Off That 100-M Win

Lyles kept the news of his diagnosis in a tight circle; his family, medical staff, and coach knew, he said after the race. “We didn't want everybody to go into a panic,” he said. “We wanted to be able to make it as discreet as possible. You never want to tell your competitors you're sick. Why would you give them an edge over you?”

In a statement, the sport’s governing body USA Track & Field (USATF) said that it and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) stood by Lyles’ decision to compete. “Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” USATF said in a statement. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely. As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance.”

Lyles believes COVID-19 impacted his performance. He was coughing all through the night. “To be honest, I'm more proud of myself than anything,” he said. “Coming out to get the bronze medal with COVID [for] three days.”

Lyles wasn’t sure if he’d run the 4x100 relay tomorrow night. “I’m going to be very honest and transparent with them, and I'm going to let them make the decision,” he said. “I believe that no matter what happens, this four-by-one team can handle anything and everything. I've been with them in practice, they are more than capable to come out with a win.” 

In Tokyo, Lyles believed the COVID-19 isolation rules, and lack of fans in the stands due to the pandemic, kept him from winning gold. (He was also favored in that race. He also won bronze.) This time around, he contracted COVID-19. Lyles enjoyed his glory moment on Sunday night, with his photo-finish win in the 100. 

At the same time, the Games have been cruel to Lyles.  —with reporting by Alice Park/Saint-Denis, France