'Fastest Man in the World' Noah Lyles, 27, Taken off Olympic Track in Wheelchair: What Happened?

Noah Lyles failed to bring home the gold medal while participating in the 200-meter final. It now appears that a condition diagnosed days earlier might have been the cause behind his poor performance and health.

On August 8, 2024, Noah Lyles sparked concern when he left the race track in a wheelchair. This was after he competed in the men's 200-meter final, where he won a bronze medal. At the time, the athlete, dubbed the "fastest man in the world," was competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Two days before the final, Lyles was diagnosed with COVID-19, but he still chose to race for the U.S. After coming in third, he struggled to walk on the field before laying down on the race track. It appeared he was breathing heavily before leaving the arena in a wheelchair.

Medical staff attended to the 27-year-old before he returned to the track to speak to the press. As reported by NBC Olympics' Lewis Johnson, after seeing Lyles leave in a wheelchair, he ran underneath the stadium to inquire about his well-being.

He encountered Keisha Caine Bishop, the athlete's mother, "who was distraught trying to find him as well." Together, they found Lyles receiving medical attention. Bishop confirmed her son's coronavirus diagnosis on August 6.

A few minutes after the medical staff attended to the sprinter, he spoke to Johnson during a live broadcast. Lyles revealed that when he woke up at around 5 a.m. on August 6, he felt "horrible."

He knew what ailed him was more than soreness from the previous 100-meter race, so he woke the doctors and got tested. Unfortunately, the result came back positive for the virus. "My first thought was not to panic, thinking, 'I've been in worse situations, I've run with worse conditions,'" the athlete shared.

Instead, he tackled the virus day by day, quarantining himself and trying to stay as hydrated as possible. The athlete noted how having the coronavirus took its toll on him, but he had never been more proud of himself.

Besides his COVID-19 diagnosis, Lyles has been open about having asthma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that having asthma can place people "at increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19."

But before contracting the virus, on August 4, Noah Lyles competed in the men's 100-meter dash and won gold. He was set to compete again the day after the wheelchair incident in the men's 4x100m relay race.

However, he later declared that he was done competing at the Paris Olympics. After failing to win in what is considered his strongest event, the 200-meter race, he posted a message on Instagram.

He wrote, "I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics. It is not the Olympic I dreamed of but it has left me with so much Joy in my heart." The star hoped all those who watched enjoyed the show.

"Whether you were rooting for me or against me, you have to admit you watched, didn't you? 😉 See you next time," he concluded. The post included a picture of him kneeling on the track as if praying, and another one of him hugging the gold winner of the race, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo.

Lyles was the runner expected to win the 200-meter race after having a great start in the 100-meter final. His time for Thursday's race was 19.70 seconds, while his U.S. teammate Kenneth Bednarek took silver with a time of 19.62 seconds. Tebogo took the gold with a time of 19.46 seconds.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that the coronavirus has badly affected Lyles' performance at the Olympics. When he competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, it was during the height of the pandemic.

The Olympics being delayed by a year and the stands being empty led Lyles to become depressed. His performance was affected, but he was inspired to do better in Paris.

So far, the Paris Olympics has seen 40 athletes test positive for COVID-19, according to the "Today" show. The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee revealed there are protocols in place to reduce the risk of the coronavirus spreading among Team U.S athletes. Before the Games began, an infection prevention program was implemented.

The program's "Don't let a cold keep you from the gold" guideline encourages U.S. athletes to wash their hands regularly. They are also urged to wear face masks while indoors and when traveling from the U.S. to Paris. Those who contract an infectious disease receive treatment and medication.

They are also provided with a private room to avoid infecting their roommates. The Committee assists with transport so the infected athlete doesn't have to ride on the bus with others. Their meals are also delivered to them.

Whenever they interact with people, they are expected to wear face masks. But the athletes are still allowed to train and compete "as long as they feel up to it."

On its website, the CDC stated, "Mass gatherings are associated with unique health risks, including an increased risk for respiratory illnesses." It urged those planning to travel to Paris for the Games to ensure they are up to date on recommended vaccines such as COVID-19.