TRACK AND SHIELD
‘I was feeling horrible’ Noah Lyles reveals in NBC interview with USA star forced into quarantine after catching Covid
Noah Lyles gave a timeline on how his positive Covid test came around
USA track star Noah Lyles revealed he felt awful before testing positive for Covid this week.
Lyles, 27, finished third in the 200m Thursday night in Paris as he failed to add to his 100m crown.
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The Team USA superstar collapsed to the floor after his bronze medal run and needed a wheelchair to help him off the track.
Seconds after the race, US track and field confirmed Lyles ran with Covid.
He was seen wearing a mask in the call room before the race, and had the mask on during his interview with NBC afterwards.
Lyles revealed, "I woke up about 5am on Tuesday morning and was feeling really horrible.
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"I knew it was more than being sore from the 100m.
"We woke up the doctors and tested, and unfortunately it came up that I was positive for Covid.
"My first thought was not to panic - I've been in worse situations, I've run with worse conditions I've felt.
"We just took it day by day, tried to hydrate, quarantined off and I would definitely say it's taken it's toll for sure.
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"But I've never been more proud of myself to come out here and get a bronze medal.
"Last Olympics I was very disappointed and this time I couldn't be more proud."
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Lyles was adamant there was never a thought of not running in the 200m - his favored event.
The 27-year-old was targeting at least three gold medals in Paris having won the 100m Sunday night.
But he cast doubt over whether he would be back for the 4x100m relay final.
USA won their heat without him Thursday morning.
"We were just going to try and quarantine as much as possible, stay away, not pass it off and give it my all," Lyles insisted.
'World champion of what?'
In August last year, while competing at the World Championships in Hungary, Noah Lyles caused a stir with some comments about basketball.
Lyles said, “You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head.
“World champion of what? The United States?
“Don’t get me wrong. I love the US, but that ain’t the world.
“We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”
His comments drew a reaction on social media from a number of NBA players, some of whom are in Paris to try and win Olympic basketball gold.
"If I wasn't to make it and somebody was able to take my spot, that would've been my sign that I didn't deserve to be in the final.
"At the moment, I don't know about the relay.
"I'm feeling more on the side of letting Team USA do their thing.
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"They're proven with great certainty that they can handle it without me.
"If that's the case coming off of today, I'm perfectly fine with saying 'you guys do your thing, you guys have speed to be able to get the gold medal.'"