PARIS (Diya TV) —
Team USA’s Noah Lyles fell short in his bid to secure a 100m and 200m double at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing third in the men’s 200-meter final on Thursday. The three-time world champion took bronze with a time of 19.70 seconds.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo made history by becoming the first African man to win gold in the 200m, clocking 19.46 seconds. American Kenny Bednarek secured silver with a time of 19.62 seconds. Tobogo dedicated the gold medal finish to his mother, who passed away in May.
Lyles was considered the favorite but faced tough competition throughout the 200m rounds. After finishing second in his semifinal behind Tebogo and posting the third-fastest overall time, the American’s prospects for gold were in question.
Lyles was taken away from the track in a wheelchair after the race because he couldn’t walk away on his own. He was also visibly gasping and looked worn out once he finished running. It was confirmed by U.S. Track and Field that Lyles had COVID-19 while running the race (in conjunction with him having asthma). Despite the setback, Lyles has one more opportunity to win gold at these Games as part of Team USA’s 4×100-meter relay team, set to compete on Friday.
Lyles’ bronze in the 200m mirrors his result from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and while he wasn’t able to complete the double, his performance in Paris further cements his status as one of the world’s top sprinters. However, Team USA’s gold medal drought in the men’s 200m continues, as the last American to win the event was Shawn Crawford in 2004. Additionally, the elusive 100m and 200m double, last achieved by Carl Lewis in 1984, remains out of reach for another Olympics.
