Noah Lyles has proven himself at the greatest of stages. While the US track phenom was constantly being criticized for slow timings, Lyles always spoke about conquering the Olympic gold. And sure enough, as the time to Paris approached closer, Noah Lyles began to show glimpses of his electric legs. Competing in the US trials, Noah Lyles clocked 9.83s to storm his way to Paris. Unfortunately, despite Lyles’ dream of securing the 100m gold came true, an unfortunate occurrence shattered Lyles’ ambitions of claiming an Olympic quadruple. 

Coming into the 200m, Noah Lyles was the hot favorite to win the gold. Unfortunately, Lyles looked completely out of sorts and finished in the third position. Following his race, the American sprinter was spotted to be in serious discomfort as he was having breathing troubles. Stretchered out of the tracks, Noah Lyles revealed that he was infected with the COVID-19 virus and that it was the end of the road in Paris for him. 

Meanwhile, the fans were in disbelief at how and why Noah Lyles risked his health to compete in the 200m finals. Thus, when Essentially Sports got a chance to get Noah Lyles’ exclusive interview (sponsored by Tide), we could not help but ask the same question. The answer was pretty much a reflection of Noah Lyles’ iron-clad mentality. Recalling several identical obstacles from his childhood, Lyles said, “I feel that that’s been my whole life. Fighting despite of something. Going after a big goal despite of something. That’s been my whole life. You know, asthma, dyslexia, ADD, depression, anxiety. Those could all be individually reasons why l’d stop. And l’ve yet to see a reason why I should.” 

Lyles then opined that since there is no surety of what will happen tomorrow. Thus, he likes to make the most of what is available today. Surely, Lyles did go through a lot in order to reach the pinnacle today. Growing up, Noah Lyles suffered from frequent asthma attacks. Until the age of eight, Lyles was forbidden to take part in any sports. His mother, Keisha Caine did everything at her disposal to keep the house devoid of any dust. After a certain period, Lyles started taking nebulizer treatment and now has a dedicated bunch of medical professionals to keep his asthma in check. Meanwhile, after the news of Noah Lyles’ COVID-19 came to the forefront, several fans have been asking why Lyles was allowed to compete despite having COVID-19. 

Why was Noah Lyles competing in the 200m with COVID? 

The term ‘COVID’  –  A pandemic that wreaked havoc and overturned nations within a fortnight. Following the quarantine protocol was one of the major guidelines that was followed during the pandemic era. In fact, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics too, an athlete, if found to be covid positive, would be secluded from the rest until he/she returned a negative test. However, gone are the days of nightmares, and now, doctors treat COVID as any other viral illness. 

Thus, when Noah Lyles developed symptoms of covid prior to the race, it was up to him to decide whether he would participate or not. However, the Team USA medical team ensured that Lyles was drinking enough water and was following all the necessary precautions required to recover from the illness quickly. However, despite adhering to all the safety measures, Lyles’ decision to run turned out to be near fatal. 

As Lyles lay on the track after his 200m bronze medal finish, his mother, Keisha Caine, had the scare of her life. Repeatedly asking the security to call a doctor, Caine was frustrated to see the security personnel turning a deaf ear. Detailing her experience, Caine posted the picture of Noah Lyles lying and captioned it, saying, “This was one of the scariest moments of my life! Watching my son hold his chest gasping for air while the stadium security refused to call a doctor as I begged them to send him help. They also refused to do anything to help. They totally ignored me! No parent should ever have to experience this feeling of helplessness!” Fortunately, Lyles received treatment and is recovering well. Thus, with all these instances of sacrifice coming to the forefront, Noah Lyles’ achievements seem to be shining ever so brightly on the sporting horizon of greatness.