Olympics fans spot what Noah Lyles did seconds before 200m final as rival Letsile Tebogo speaks out

Fans think they spotted something that Noah Lyles did before running his 200m final.

The American athlete was one of the favourites ahead of the 200m Olympic final on Thursday (8 August), having won gold by just 0.005 seconds in the 100m final on Sunday (4 August), with a time of 9.784.

With that win, he proved all of his doubters wrong, following up on his promise to become world champion, after calling out American sports for giving themselves the 'world title' despite only competing in their national league.

However, in the 200m final, Lyles came up short, finishing the race in third, winning a respectable bronze medal for Team USA.

The 27-year-old finished with a time of 19.70, 0.17 off his season best, but even achieving that time would not have beaten gold medal winner Letsile Tebogo, who crossed the line in 19.46 seconds.

Prior to the race though, it was reported that the US sprinter was suffering with an illness, that was undisclosed until afterwards.

It took just minutes after the 200m final finished, when it was confirmed that Lyles had tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday morning.

It provides an explanation to the way he exited the track, as he received medical attention after the finish before being taken away in a wheelchair.

There aren't any regulations or rules in place when it comes to Covid, so the sprinter could compete as long as he felt fit and healthy enough to do so.

Following the race, Tebogo said that he was not fit to be the face of athletics as he was not an 'arrogant or loud person' like Lyles, though many African reporters came to his defence, warning the western media not to take the comments seriously, as English is the Botswana sprinter's second language, suggesting that he was probably talking about the positive energy from the 100m gold medallist.

Lyles displayed some of that energy off before the 200m final, as he does before most events, sprinting across the width of the track in front of competitors when he was announced.

Fans in the stadium were thrilled as he made his way to them, welcoming them with applause and cheers.

However, some fans thought that he was too confident too quickly, with one sharing on X: "He is so easy to dislike," while another added, "Never celebrate too early."

A third said: "Wasted energy that should have been conserved for the race to dramatise.

"I hope he is humble now."

Despite the doubt, he spoke after the race about the effects that the Covid-19 diagnosis had on his performance: "I have definitely had better days but I am walking around again.

"I was quite light headed after that race and the chest pain was definitely active.

"After a while, I was able to catch my breath and get my wits about me. I am feeling a lot better now. It definitely affected my performance."

Lyles was meant to compete in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays today and tomorrow, but said that the 200m marked the 'end of my 2024 Olympics'.

Olympics 2024 highlights - the biggest moments so far

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It all paid off though as he took home the silver along with his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.

Noah Lyles' 100m victory

Setting a new personal best, Lyles came out on top at the finish line by a margin of just 0.005 seconds, with a final time of 9.784.

The final also marked the fastest race of all time, with all eight athletes crossing the finish line in under 10 seconds.

George Mills and Hugo Hay's 5000m bust up

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Mills looked as though he had some harsh words for Hay after the tumble which he admitted he was 'probably not allowed to say'.

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Freddie Crittenden jogs for entire race on purpose

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The athlete said it was a calculated move to avoid aggravating a sore muscle in his leg and due to the introduction of repechage rounds, he knew that he'd have another chance at glory.

'Slow pool' accusations

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Luana Alonso 'kicked out' of Olympic Village

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