Noah Lyles criticizes U.S. Olympic team for mishandling his COVID-19
On his new podcast, Beyond The Records, the Olympic 100m champion called out the U.S. Olympic team for failing to issue a statement on his positive COVID-19 test
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Kevin Morris
Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles has never shied away from speaking his mind, and his new podcast, Beyond The Records, provides him with a platform to do so. In the inaugural episode, Lyles takes aim at the U.S. Olympic team, accusing them of mishandling his positive COVID-19 test during the Paris Games.
Lyles, who tested positive a few days after winning the men’s 100m Olympic title, reflects on how the situation was handled—or rather, mishandled. “I think Team USA messed up by not putting out a statement,” said Lyles on Beyond The Records. “There was an opportunity for them to defend their athlete, and they didn’t.”
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Lyles says he began to feel unwell during the semifinals of the men’s 200m, where Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo edged him out with a time of 19.96 seconds, handing Lyles his first 200m loss of the 2024 season. In the final (four days after the 100m final), Lyles ended up with bronze, finishing behind his American Kenny Bednarek, and Tebogo, who broke the African record with a time of 19.46 seconds.
News of Lyles’s positive COVID-19 test emerged after the 200m final, leading to widespread speculation online. Critics accused Lyles of using the diagnosis as an excuse for not winning gold in the event. The situation worsened when Lyles was spotted at a Paris nightclub two days later.
We knew all along that you never had Covid bro we are not dumb 😂😂😂
— Lorrenzo Diego (@lorrenzom) August 10, 2024
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) faced backlash for not addressing Lyles’s positive test during the Games. According to Lyles, Team USA had the opportunity to issue a statement that could have provided clarity and defended him, but failed to do so. The USOPC’s website notes that it does not have a protocol for managing high-profile athlete illnesses or injuries at the Olympics.
As viewers of Netflix’s Sprint (Season 2) documentary have seen (spoiler alert), U.S. Olympic officials were aware of Lyles’s positive and subsequent negative tests during the Games, adding to the frustration over their lack of communication.
Lyles shared his thoughts on his new podcast, Beyond The Records, co-hosted by fellow Olympic champions Grant Holloway and Rai Benjamin. The podcast aims to broaden the reach of track and field by discussing key issues, athlete stories and behind-the-scenes news. Episodes will be released weekly, with the debut episode airing on Thursday, Dec. 12.
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