On Thursday, one of Team USA’s top runners, Noah Lyles, settled for third place in the men’s 200m final.
However, Lyles was seen struggling to breathe shortly after finishing the race, needing medical assistance and a wheelchair to be taken from the sidelines of Stade de France.
The two-time Olympian has been asthmatic his whole life. He’s made it one of his main motivations for succeeding on track’s biggest stage.
NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson later reported on the broadcast that Lyles’ mother confirmed her son was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Tuesday, just two days after winning gold in the 100m race.
Lyles then spoke to Johnson live on NBC about his condition, saying he never considered dropping out of Thursday’s race.
“My first thought was not to panic,” Lyles said. “I’ve been in worse situations, I’ve run with, you know, worse conditions I felt and we just took it day by day.”
While it is not clear if Lyles is suffering from the virus’s symptoms, this would explain why he appeared to be struggling in what is known as his signature event.
The Paris Games are the first global event to be held after the COVID-19 pandemic, but the virus’ presence is still being felt.
In the last two weeks, 40 athletes from multiple countries, including 16 Australians, have tested positive.
But in the face of what’s being called a “summer wave,” there are no prevention protocols nor barriers to competition for athletes who contract the virus.
Athletes do not need to test to be eligible to compete, nor must they drop out if diagnosed.
However, Lyles announced that he won’t be competing for the rest of the Games due to the virus.