Lyles' bid for Olympic sprint double wrecked by Covid

Noah Lyles said he was "proud" to triumph 200m bronze aft being deed by Covid-19 wrecked his bid to go nan first man since Usain Bolt to complete an individual Olympic sprint double.

The American, 27, claimed nan 100m title by five-thousandths of a second successful a historical last connected Sunday.

But conscionable 4 days later he was helped disconnected nan way successful a wheelchair arsenic Botswana's Letsile Tebogo took nan 200m crown, pinch Lyles having tested affirmative for nan microorganism early connected Tuesday morning.

"It decidedly affected my performance. I've had to return a batch of breaks," said Lyles, who kept nan affirmative trial consequence a concealed from his rivals.

"I was coughing done nan night. I'm much proud of myself than anything, coming retired present to get a bronze pinch Covid.

"I was rather light-headed aft that race. Shortness of breath, thorax pain, but aft a while I could drawback my activity and get my wits astir me. I'm a batch amended now."

All seemed good erstwhile Lyles came bouncing retired connected to nan track, producing his accustomed theatrics arsenic he excited nan crowd earlier attempting to go only nan 10th man to triumph 100m and 200m golden astatine a azygous Games.

Lyles, who won 3 world titles past year, began his pursuit of what would person been a imaginable 4 golds pinch a sensational 100m triumph. He hit Jamaica's Kishane Thompson successful a melodramatic photograph decorativeness to separator what has been described arsenic nan fastest 100m title successful history - pinch nan slowest of nan 8 finalists clocking an awesome 9.91 seconds.

But, aft making only nan sixth-fastest commencement successful nan 200m final, Lyles was incapable to dress up crushed connected Tebogo and spent almost nan full title successful third, crossing nan statement down US metallic medallist Kenneth Bednarek.

It only became evident conscionable really overmuch Lyles was struggling erstwhile he finished, appearing short of activity earlier he was helped into a wheelchair aft being pictured lying flat-out connected nan track.

“We were trying to support this adjacent to nan chest," said Lyles.

"The group who knew were nan aesculapian staff, my coach, my mum. We didn't want everybody going into a panic.

"I'm competitive. Why would you springiness [your rivals] an separator complete you?"

Lyles, who embraced chap athletes including Tebogo, said he had tested affirmative astatine astir 5am connected Tuesday aft waking up successful nan nighttime and experiencing symptoms including aching, chills and a sore throat.

He quarantined successful a edifice adjacent to nan Olympic Village pinch his team, who he said "tried to get maine connected arsenic overmuch medicine arsenic we legally could to make judge my assemblage could support nan momentum going".

"I still wanted to run, it was still possible, we conscionable stayed distant from everybody," Lyles said.

"This is by acold nan champion time I've felt retired of nan past 3 days. Still not 100% but person to 90 to 95%.

"That only useful for 1 shot. I've sewage to settee down for a while. It's 1 and done, there's nary holding back."

Defeat successful nan 200m ended Lyles' eager hopes of winning 4 golden medals successful Paris, having had plans to adhd nan 4x400m relay to nan world 100m, 200m and 4x100m treble he achieved 12 months ago.

Given really he felt instantly aft contesting nan 200m last connected Thursday night, his information successful 1 aliases some of those relays could now beryllium successful doubt.

The 4x100m last takes spot connected Friday astatine 18:47 BST, pinch nan 4x400m last held connected Saturday astatine 20:00 BST.

"We haven't decided yet, I'm going to talk to nan 4x100m crew," Lyles said.

"I'm going to beryllium very honorable and transparent pinch nan coaches, and I'll fto them make nan decision.

"No matter what happens, this 4x100m squad tin grip everything. I've been pinch them successful practice, I cognize they tin travel retired pinch a win, break arsenic galore records arsenic they put their mind to."

At nan Tokyo Games 3 years ago, postponed 1 twelvemonth by nan coronavirus pandemic, athletes had to compete successful quiet stadiums and support strict societal distancing to tackle nan dispersed of infections.

In Paris, while nan microorganism has not disappeared, things person mostly returned to normal.

Covid is now treated for illustration different respiratory illnesses, pinch nary strict protocols which forestall athletes from competing.

USA Track and Field (USATF) told BBC Sport that it and nan United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) "swiftly enacted each basal protocols to prioritize his health, nan wellbeing of our team, and nan information of chap competitors" aft learning of Lyles' affirmative test.

"Our superior committedness is to guarantee nan information of Team USA athletes while upholding their correct to compete. After a thorough aesculapian evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his determination and will proceed to show his information closely," USATF said.

"As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], USOPC, and IOC [International Olympic Committee] guidelines for respiratory illnesses to forestall nan dispersed of unwellness among squad members, safeguarding their wellness and performance."

Earlier successful nan Games, Great Britain's Adam Peaty tested affirmative for Covid-19 1 time aft winning 100m breaststroke silver, but returned to action successful nan excavation 5 days later.