SAINT-DENIS, France — Noah Lyles’ sprint double quest came up just short. He finished third in the 200 final, clocking in at 19.70 for the bronze medal.
Lyles ran despite testing positive for COVID-19. Following the race, Lyles, who has a history of asthma, received medical attention and collapsed into a wheelchair.
‘I woke up early about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning and I was feeling really horrible. I knew it was more than being sore from the 100,’ Lyles said after the race. ‘Woke up the doctors and we tested and it came back as positive for COVID. My first thought was not to panic. I’m thinking I’ve been in worse situations. I’ve run with worse conditions, I felt, and we just took it day by day, tried to hydrate as much, quarantined.
‘It’s taken its toll for sure, but I’ve never been more proud of myself to be able to come out here and getting a bronze medal.’
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo led around the curve and sprinted down the home stretch for a surprising comfortable win, running a 19.46. U.S. sprinter Kenny Bednarek captured the silver with a time of 19.62.
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Noah Lyles positive for COVID-19, receives medical attention
Immediately after winning the bronze medal, Lyles needed medical attention. He was taken off the track in a wheelchair and news later broke that he tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the race.
“It definitely affected my performance,’ Lyles said after the race, adding that he stayed in an offsite hotel and tried to keep his illness ‘close to the chest’ after testing positive on Tuesday. His teammates and opponents did not know he was sick.
Lyles does suffer from asthma, which can make respiratory illnesses worse.
‘Why would we give them an edge?’ He said when asked about the secrecy, adding they also didn’t want everyone to go into a panic and wanted everyone to be able to compete.
‘We can confirm that Noah Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, August 5th. In response, the USOPC and USATF swiftly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritize his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors,’ the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee said in a statement. ‘Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.’
Lyles later posted on Instagram that he believes it will be the end of his Olympics. He was slated to compete in the 4×100 relay.
Follow the latest updates about Lyles’ condition here.
Grant Holloway wins gold medal in 110 hurdles at Paris Olympics
Team USA’s Grant Holloway won a gold medal Thursday night in the 110-meter hurdles at the Paris Games’ Stade de France with a time of 12.99 seconds.
Other medal winners were Team USA’s Daniel Roberts (silver, 13.09) and Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica (bronze, 13.09).
Holloway left little wonder why he was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 110-meter hurdles. It was a redemptive moment after he won silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021, missing out on gold by 0.05 seconds, in his first Olympic appearance.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone crowned with gold in 400 hurdles
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone displayed her dominance once again in the women’s 400-meter hurdles on Thursday.
McLaughlin-Levrone won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles, posting another world record time at 50.37. She is the first American woman to win two Olympic gold medals in the event.
Anna Cockrell came in second with a personal-best time of 51.87. Netherlands’ Femke Bol came in third, running a 52.15.
What about the 4×100 relay Noah Lyles is supposed to lead?
Immediately after the race, Lyles said he didn’t know if he would compete in the 4×100 relay Friday. He later took to social media to say he ‘believes’ his Olympics is over.
‘I’m feeling more on the side of letting Team USA do their thing,’ Lyles said on the NBC broadcast after the race. ‘They’ve proven with great certainty that they can handle it without me. If that’s the case, coming off today, then I’m perfectly fine with saying, ‘Hey, you guys go do your thing. You guys have more than enough speed to go get the gold medal.”
Noah Lyles falls short of sprint double, but Americans take 2 medals in 200
The crowd at Stade de France chanted “USA” before the start of the race as Lyles and the rest of the runners got in the blocks. However, Tebogo had the final say and became the first African to ever win the event. Lyles’ U.S. teammate Kenny Bednarek took silver and said he did not know Lyles had COVID, but he was fine with his decision to race.
Lyles came into the Paris Olympics with the top 200 time in the world this year at 19.53. However, he ran a 20.08 to place second in the semifinal and had the third fastest time entering the final. He ran out of lane five and never quite put a full race together before seeing medics.
Lyles earned his first Olympic gold medal in a thrilling photo finish in the men’s 100 last Sunday.
The 27-year-old sprinter was trying to become the first American male to win the sprint double in 40 years. Carl Lewis won the 100 and 200 at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Lewis also won gold in long jump and 4×100 relay at the Los Angeles Olympics.
What happens if a U.S. athlete tests positive for COVID at the Olympic Games?
If a Team USA athlete experiences symptoms of any kind, the USOPC is “going to follow the CDC guidelines for all of infectious disease protocols.”
The USOPC will bring this comprehensive testing equipment to Paris, Finnoff said.
Although there will be no official isolation or quarantine period imposed, athletes who have tested positive for a respiratory illness will be moved into their own rooms to prevent the spread of infectious diseases between roommates, according to Finnoff.
“It doesn’t mean [infected athletes] can’t train or compete,” Finnoff said. “We’ll do that based on their symptoms and how they feel, but we do want to prevent [them] from infecting those around them, and we’ll also provide prophylaxis based on what is recommended by CDC guidelines.”
Anna Hall sits third in heptathlon after 200
After winning the women’s heptathlon 200-meter event Thursday night with a time of 23.44, Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson leads the standings at the Paris Games with four of seven events complete. Johnson-Thompson has 4,055 points, ahead of Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium (4,077) and Team USA’s Anna Hall (3,956).
In a field of 22, Team USA’s other two women’s heptathlon competitors, Taliyah Brooks and Chari Hawkins, are ranked seventh and 22nd. The heptathlon combines seven events: the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m. The long jump, javelin and 800-meter competitions will be held Friday. — Chase Godbread
Who are the top sprinters in the 200 final?
Noah Lyles has the best 200 time in the world this year at 19.53. Kenny Bednarek’s time of 19.59 is the second best time in the world this year. While Letsile Tebogo’s season-best of 19.71 is tied for the third fastest time this year. Erriyon Knighton, who won a silver medal at the 2023 world championships, is also a medal contender.
What’s Noah Lyles’ personal-best time in the 200?
Noah Lyles’ personal-best time in the 200 is 19.31, which is also currently the American record. He set the record in 2022.
Quincy Wilson to make Paris Olympics debut on US 4×400 relay
SAINT-DENIS, France — Quincy Wilson is set to make his Paris Olympics debut.
Wilson received word that he will take part in Team USA’s 4×400 relay team, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to discuss the relay team.
The men’s 4×400 relay begins Friday at 5:05 a.m. ET.
Wilson was originally selected on Team USA’s 4×400-relay pool after he finished sixth in the open 400 at the U.S. Olympic track and field trial.
The 16-year-old wonderkid broke the under-18 world record in the opening round of the 400, blazing one lap around the track in 44.66 seconds at the trials. Then Wilson bested the time in the semifinals, running a 44.59 to qualify for the finals. The high school record had stood for 42 years before Wilson shattered it twice within a matter of days. — Tyler Dragon
Anna Hall third after first two events of women’s heptathlon
Anna Hall is in third place after the first two events of the women’s heptathlon, the 100m hurdles and high jump. Hall’s time of 13.36 seconds ranked seventh in the hurdles, while her high jump effort of 1.89m was third in the field. Taliyah Brooks currently is sixth after a second-place showing in hurdles (13.00 seconds) and eighth in high jump (1.77m). Chari Hawkins was fifth in the hurdles with a time of 13.16 seconds, but she did not mark in high jump, leading her in 22nd position.
USA’s Brandon Miller advances to 800 semis
SAINT-DENIS, France — U.S. middle-distance runner Brandon Miller qualified to the semifinals in the men’s 800, via the repechage round.
Miller ran a 1:44.21 to win the fourth and final heat of the 800. He had the best time of all runners in the repechage round.
The semifinals in the 800 are on Friday. — Tyler Dragon
U.S. men’s 4×100 relay makes statement
The U.S. men’s 4×100-relay team made a statement in the opening round of the relay. A team of Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Kyree King and Courtney Lindsey got the baton around clean and it was over from there. The men led from start to finish as they crossed the line in 37.47 for the easy victory. Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek will likely run in the final for Team USA.
Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas lead Team USA to easy opening-round win in 4×100
The U.S. 4×100-relay team had a shaky exchange on the second and third leg between Twanisha Terry and Gabby Thomas that slowed them down a little. However, Sha’Carri Richardson received the baton on the anchor leg and sprinted past Germany to secure the first-round victory for Team USA in 41.94.
Germany took second, running a 42.15 and Switzerland got the last qualifying spot with a time of 42.38. The U.S. women will have to clean up their handoffs, but they are the gold-medal favorite in the relay, especially with Jamaica’s stars not competing in the event.
Two-time shot put world champ Chase Jackson out
Chase Jackson failed to get out of the opening round of the women’s shot put. Jackson scratched on her first two attempts and needed a third and final throw to advance to the final. But her third throw didn’t come off her hand clean and landed at 57 feet, 9 inches – just short of a qualifying spot.
Jackson was visibly upset after her disappointing opening round. She came into Paris as a gold-medal contender in the shot put. She’s won two straight world championships in the event. Americans Jaida Ross and Raven Saunders both advanced.
Quincy Hall says he strained leg in 400 final
PARIS — Quincy Hall wasn’t just bobbing his head to propel himself forward Wednesday night, as he raced to gold in the 400-meter final at the Paris Olympics. He was mostly just in pain.
‘I didn’t really want to talk about it, but on the back stretch, I kind of strained my leg,’ Hall said Thursday after the medal ceremony at Stade de France. ‘I just kept running through it. I was like, ‘If I’m going to fall, if I’m going to tear it off, I’m going to fall.’ I just kept going and I finished the race.’
When asked if he’ll be healthy enough to compete in the 4×400 relay, which will take place Friday and Saturday, he said: ‘We’ll see.’
‘I’ve been getting treatment and stuff,’ he said. ‘If not, we have a strong enough team that we can pick and they can do the job without me.’
One of the sprinters who could potentially take Hall’s spot on the relay team is Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old who is slated to make his Olympic debut in the preliminary round Friday morning.
‘He ready,’ Hall said. ‘He might be young, but age ain’t nothing for him.’ — Tom Schad
American duo advance to 1500m finals
SAINT-DENIS, France — Team USA’s Elle St. Pierre and Nikki Hiltz qualified for the medal finals of the women’s 1,500-meter race at the Paris Games on Thursday, clocking times of 3:59.74 and 3:56.17, respectively. The top six runners in each of two semifinal heats qualified; St. Pierre finished third in Heat 1, Hiltz third in Heat 2. World record holder Faith Kipyegon of Kenya won the first heat with a 3:58.64. The two-time Olympic gold medalist broke the world record a month ago in Paris (3:49.04), and also holds the Olympic record (3:53.11, set at the Tokyo Games in 2021).
American Emily Mackay did not qualify, finishing last in Heat 2 at 4:02.03. The medal race is scheduled for Saturday night.
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