Noah Lyles got his dream fulfilled at the Paris Olympics. Ahead of the Olympics, Lyles had been hyping up about his chances of winning the gold. He wished to compete in all four categories and aimed to clinch gold in all of them. Now, while the American failed to win a quadruple, he did take the 100m finals by storm. Running alongside the likes of Letsile Tebogo, Kishane Thompson, Akani Simbine, and more, Lyles had a tough job on his hands. 

And indeed, this year’s men’s 100m race was one of the fastest ever in the history of the Olympics. Running a scintillating 9.78s, Lyles tied with Thompson as the duo clocked identical times. But it was only after things were scrutinized further, that Lyles was given the nod to be declared as the gold medalist. Surely, it was one of the crowning moments for the American sprinter. The victory boosted his morale significantly and also established Lyles as a force to reckon with on the world track and field map. 

However, in a surprising turn of events, Lyles’ 100m victory could have more layers to it than meets the naked eye. In a shocking revelation recently, Lyles mentioned that he might have had COVID during his 100m finals too! Now, it is no secret that the Olympic champion ran his 200m race with a COVID-19 infection. Connecting to this incident, Lyles chalked out a theory. He mentioned that since the COVID-19 virus takes at least a week to show its symptoms, it is quite possible that he became an Olympic gold medalist with COVID-19. 

Speaking on his brand new podcast, ‘Beyond The Records’ with Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway, Lyles stated, “You catch COVID and then you get the symptoms later on throughout the day. (0:04) So that means I ran and became my a hundred meter Olympic champion with COVID.” While this cannot be proved at the moment, Lyles’ struggles with COVID in the 200m race was quite visible. 

Touted as the favorite to win the 200m title too, Lyles looked particularly in discomfort. As the race went on, the track phenom was spotted with visible breathing issues. Finishing third, Lyles immediately went down panting, sending a wave of concern among his fans. However, with his latest confession coming to limelight, the 27-year-old has stirred up yet another controversy. Taking to the comment section, not all fans seem to be happy about what Lyles just said. 

Fans lash out at Noah Lyles for bragging 

Despite his incredible achievements, fans seem to be angry at Noah Lyles for bragging too much. They quickly took to the comments section to express their frustration. 

One fan humorously commented in a revolting tone, “How much can he yap about this.” Lyles’ 200-meter dash and bronze medal win created quite a buzz. And the discussions were not just centering his win, but more centered on the debacle surrounding him running after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Now, again, weeks after his Paris quest, Lyles’ claim of winning the 100-meter after being inflicted by the virus. And this made fans react as they didn’t want Lyles to concentrate anymore on this chapter. 

Echoing the same emotion another fan wrote, “Y’all gotta stop 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ embarrassing”. Despite clocking 9.78s to turn out to be the fastest man, Lyles also sparked several controversies. Several track enthusiasts appear tired of watching Lyles delving into the same chapter. Another Instagram user sharing a personal take mentioned, “Lmaoo just stop bro… just stop 😂😂😂”

Another fan had a different opinion to share. The commenter wrote, “That’s crazy to think about, nothing can stop Noah”. The fact that Lyles could give his best in the competition and grab the medals for the nation despite not being his best self. After winning the gold Lyles was diagnosed with COVID-19. But that did not stop him from competing in the 200-meter dash.

One fan seemed excited about the new venture that Lyles has taken up with Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway. The fan added, “Noah is about to trigger more souls. I’m amused and impressed all at the same. Looking forward to watching the podcast”. They expect the episodes to unleash more debates and controversies as they delve deeper into the track discussion. On one hand, the fans are expecting track updates from the podcast, and on the other hand, they are also waiting for the conversations to spark a buzz on social media. Thus, with frustration growing, it remains to be seen how well can Lyles bounce back in the coming season.