Noah Lyles knew he could “put in a great performance” despite COVID-19

Athletics star of the US team Noah Lyles would compete in his final event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with or without COVID-19.

“(I thought) ‘Let’s try to keep this as normal as possible,’ knowing I’ve dealt with this kind of thing in the past,” Lyles, 27, said in an interview with People on Sunday, August 11, about participating in the men’s 200-meter final. “I have run close to getting COVID many times.”

For Lyles, there was never any doubt about whether or not he would compete. “I know I’m built for these kinds of moments and I’ve trained my whole life,” he added. “I know I can go out there and still put in a great performance and it’s an all-or-nothing scenario because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. So I might as well make the most of today.”

Lyles took the bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter final on Thursday, August 8, despite testing positive for COVID-19 just two days earlier. He said People of the event: “As long as I knew I was allowed to do it, I tackled it.”

Related: All 126 medals won by the US team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

As the U.S. team tackles the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, American athletes have already made an impression at the Summer Games. The 2024 Olympic Games began on Friday, July 26, with a glittering opening ceremony held entirely outdoors on the Seine and featuring performances by artists such as Celine Dion and Lady (…).

On Sunday, he added that he was feeling “a lot better” despite lingering fatigue. “I just told my girlfriend, ‘I’m so tired,’ and she was like, ‘Well, you just won the 100 with COVID and you’re still not resting as much as you can,'” Lyles said. People. (Lyles is dating an Olympian, the sprinter for Team Jamaica. Junelle Bromfieldsince 2022.)

Lyles said his COVID symptoms included fatigue, aches and chills, and the virus also triggered his asthma. After winning the bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter race, Lyles was escorted off the track in a wheelchair.

Lyles was unable to compete with Team USA in the men’s 4×100 relay final and later announced via Instagram that he would not compete in any further events at the 2024 Olympics, including the men’s 4×100 relay final. Unfortunately, Team USA was disqualified due to a failed relay handoff during the race. “Unfortunately, these things happen,” Lyles said People on Sunday.

Related: All the ups and downs of the wild 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

The 2024 Summer Olympics may be taking place in the City of Light, but that doesn’t mean they won’t bring a fair amount of darkness with them. After a flashy opening ceremony on Friday, July 26, which continues to provoke outrage from some celebrities and religious figures, the Games have been plagued by accusations of sexism (…)

“When you have a stage as big as the Olympics and the crowd is so loud you can’t even hear your own thoughts, it’s hard to prepare for that,” he said. “In a relay, it’s four people all trying to work together, and since I unfortunately had to step down because of COVID, it was up to the relay coach and the relay team to decide how best to adapt to the situation.”

He concluded by saying, “Yeah, it really sucks and everyone has an opinion on it. But believe me when I say that everyone is really trying their best and doing their best.”