Noah Lyles‘ Paris Olympics journey took a sharp turn when he announced, “I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” on X, signaling his abrupt exit due to COVID-19. The American sprinter chased a double podium in the 100m and 200m titles. He claimed the 100m gold by narrowly defeating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. However, his hopes of matching legends like Carl Lewis or Usain Bolt ended when he finished third in the 200m race.

Shortly after, the shocking news broke—Lyles revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19 two days before the 200m event, where Letsile Tebogo of Botswana took gold with a time of 19.46 seconds. Lyles, who clocked in at 19.70, was then criticized by fans for hugging Tebogo despite knowing his diagnosis. The online trolling added to the already heated atmosphere. This tension was further intensified by Tebogo’s camp in Botswana, which seemed to mock the situation.

Noah Lyles’ decision to run the 200m race after COVID sparked outrage

A double Olympic medalist, Fred Kerley, recently shared a post on X that stirred emotions in the track and field community. His post was captioned, “A person from Botswana mocking Noah Lyles at the Botswana Olympic Team Coronation. Noah was literally sick after the race,” accompanied by a video where people cruelly recreated Noah Lyles’ heartbreaking wheelchair moment from the Paris Olympics. Though Lyles hadn’t disclosed his COVID battle, the world saw one of the most devastating scenes on the track afterward. Noah collapsed and hit the ground, breathing heavily as he was struggling to catch his breath.

He later told the reporter to NPR that he was feeling dizzy and light-headed too and he continued, “Shortness of breath, chest pain, but after a while I could catch my breath and get my wits about me.” But, till the medics were on the spot, he struggled a lot and bent down his knees and hands. After a while, he managed to stand and left the track in a wheelchair. But, amidst this, Noah Lyles faced a controversy during his hard times as many people are saying that it was not necessary for him to put others’ lives at risk.

Though the gold medalist of that 200m event, Tebogo thinks that, as it is a non-contact sport, they were not at risk. He even mentioned how Noah took protection by wearing a mask before the race. While Tebogo was unaware of the fact of Noah’s condition, he initially thought it was just a day when Noah was not feeling right. He later shared his thoughts with Metro, saying, “After the 100m final, I thought maybe it was just one of those days when he wasn’t having a great day”. He added, “But I didn’t think of COVID or anything else.”

Bednarek, who won silver, also echoed Tebogo’s comments and said to Metro, ‘I didn’t think I was put at risk at all. I take care of my body so when it comes to getting sick, that’s rare for me,” He said that all he wishes for is good health and hopes that he gets better. Even Bednarek appreciated Noah’s ability in track and field, how he still managed to race even after having COVID. While his teammates support him, some fans have responded by trolling and criticizing Noah’s approach.

Fans have reacted to Noah Lyles’ track exit amid COVID battle

Noah Lyles, a shining name in the world of track and field showcased his prowess in the Paris Olympics once again. By winning gold and bronze, he again proved himself why he is among the best athletes. His last performance with COVID even made him proud as he said to Firstpost, “Coming out and getting the bronze medal with Covid.” But, not everyone saw his achievements in a positive way. Instead they started trolling him. One fan wrote on X, “Damn you got pics on stand by too. We got a real loser here” where the fan sarcastically mocks Noah and the comment implied that Noah was prepared with this excuse. Labeling him a loser, the comment deliberately ignored his past success.

Another fan reacted humorously, by commenting, “This new strain of COVID must be the Tebogo variant”, indicating that Tebogo will get the virus as Noah hugged him when he was already diagnosed with COVID. The comment was enough to heat up the sports’ atmosphere, hinting at a possible rivalry between the two athletes.

Then, another Sprinting admirer directly raised a question on Noah’s integrity as that individual commented, “So his Covid only started after the race? Cause before the race he was perfectly fine doing backflips and stuff🤭.” Not only does the fan point a finger at the timing of his diagnosis, but he also insinuates that he has used this as a simple excuse for avoiding further competition.

The next fan even accused Noah of having poor sportsmanship in the track and field and stated angrily, “Noah was a sour loser and made a spectacle instead of allowing another athlete to enjoy his shine. I see you hate it when it’s been done to you. You are the last people to talk about class. Hold Noah accountable!” This fan believed Noah’s dramatic exit from the track snatched other athletes’ best moments. He overshadowed others’ achievements and hence he must be held responsible for that.