Noah Lyles' “COVID career” had a new revelation Friday when his coach said the sprinter competed in the men's 200-meter final with a fever of 102 degrees.
Lyles fell short of his goal of winning gold and breaking the world record in Thursday's event, finishing with bronze and collapsing on the track shortly after the race.
Lyles was taken away by medical personnel and NBC later revealed that Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19 two days earlier, which he learned from his “distraught” mother. USA Track and Field confirmed the positive case to the BBC.
Lyles' coach, Lance Brauman, said the 27-year-old track star took bronze despite running with a 102-degree fever. Lyles even ran a personal best of 19.31, the third-fastest time in history.
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Bronze medalist Noah Lyles of the USA reacts after competing in the men's 200m final on day 13 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France on August 8, 2024 in Paris. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
“Getting a bronze medal in 19.70 with a temperature of around 102 wasn't too bad,” Brauman said.
“I mean, he was sick. People are going to say what they want, and that's fine, but the guy was sick.”
Lyles is also known to suffer from asthma and announced Thursday that his Olympic career was over. On Friday, he withdrew from the men's 4×100-meter relay.
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST LETSILE TEBOGO LINKS WITH 'ARROGANT' AND 'LOUD' NOAH LYLES AFTER 200 METRES FINAL
Despite falling short of her gold medal goal in the 200 meters, Lyles did take home a gold medal in the 100-meter final, which historically has never been her strongest event. It was the first gold for the United States in the event since 2004. Lyles has said she has made it her mission to prioritize the 100-meter final starting in 2022 as a way to get out of her comfort zone and improve her 200-meter time.
Noah Lyles of the USA competes during the men's 100 metres semi-final on day nine of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France on August 4, 2024 in Saint-Denis, France. (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
She previously admitted that the first 100 metres was the weakest part of her 200-metre sprint ahead of 2023, and was able to increase her speed in the event through physiotherapy balance training, which involves exercises that balance the core and leg muscles.
These exercises can improve stability and, in Lyles' case, ensure that his muscles and ligaments are aligned to create the quickest movements possible and not compensate for any imbalances.
Bronze medalist Noah Lyles of the USA wears a mask after competing in the men's 200m final on day 13 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France on August 8, 2024, in Paris. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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Now that his Paris Olympics career is over and Lyles was able to salvage his first Olympic gold in the 100m, he will go home feeling proud of himself, especially after being disappointed to only win a bronze medal in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
“I would definitely say it's taken a toll on me, for sure, but I've never been more proud of myself for being able to come here and get a bronze medal. At the last Olympics, I was very disappointed. This time, I couldn't be more proud,” he told NBC on Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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