The star American sprinter Noah Lyles, the favorite of most to win the gold medal in the 200 meters at Paris 2024, was overcome this Thursday by unforeseen circumstances and ended up taking the bronze medal, despite competing with COVID-19.
According to CBS Sports, Lyles, the newly crowned champion in the hundred meters at the Olympics, notably diminished his performance due to the illness, which was diagnosed last Tuesday.
The world champion of the distance in 2023 suffers from asthma and, according to various sources, was seen wearing a mask before the race and later showed notable signs of exhaustion.
In fact, he was never a serious contender for the monarch Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, who covered the distance in a phenomenal 19.46 seconds, a record for Africa and among the best times ever.
Kenny Bednarek, another American deserving of respect in speed, finished in second place with 19.62. Behind him was the fatigued Lyles (19.70), who required medical assistance on the track and was subsequently attended to in the stands.
In this case, it is worth noting that the International Olympic Committee allows athletes and teams at Paris 2024 to make decisions about their ability to compete, treating COVID-19 like any other respiratory illness.
The question now is, will Lyles run the 4x100 meter relay?
What do you think?
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