Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters: US sprinter Noah Lyles will be invited to the 200-meter medal ceremony despite revealing that he has tested positive for Covid-19, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) told CNN.
Lyles won bronze in the 200m final on Thursday, adding to the 100m gold medal he won last week, but later explained how he had woken up on Tuesday “just feeling really horrible” before testing positive for Covid.
According to USOPC’s Kate Hartman, Lyles has been invited to attend Friday’s ceremony for the 200m medalists and, should he choose to attend, will be wearing a mask and following protocols.
Lyles wants to make sure that whomever hands him the medal is comfortable doing so, Hartman also said.
On Friday, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said that Covid “is being treated like any other respiratory disease” at the Games, adding: “It is being treated like flu. So there is no obligation for any special measures of notifications.”
In an Instagram post on Friday, the 27-year-old said that he believes that his Olympics are over.
“It is not the Olympics I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart,” he said. “I hope everyone enjoyed the show. Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn’t you?” (CNN)
Noah Lyles is seen in a protective face mask after receiving medical attention after the men’s 200m final on Thursday.