Noah Lyles‘s journey to become the first to win the sprint double since Usain Bolt was not meant to be after placing third in the final of the men’s 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Lyles’s sprint double was denied by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who ran a personal best time of 19.46.
Tebego’s time, while also a personal best, set a new African record as he blazed by his competitors to gold.
Tebogo came onto the radar after winning yesterday’s 200m semi-final in 19.96 over Lyles, who clocked 20.08.
Although Lyles came in as the clear favorite, his compatriot, Kenny Bednarek, also managed to pip him at the line, taking silver with a time of 19.62.
Lyles still managed to earn himself a medal in both the 100m and 200m after taking bronze tonight in 19.70.
UPDATE: Reports from NBC and BBC have just confirmed that Noah Lyles raced the 200m final, winning bronze, despite testing positive for COVID-19 two days ago.
This has already stirred controversy on social media with some fans praising his dedication and ability to still compete and earn a medal despite being unwell.
However, several others on social media are criticizing his irresponsibility for exposing his competitors to COVID-19, especially as he was seen hugging several of them, including Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo.
Find the full results for the men’s 200m final below:
| Name | Time |
|---|---|
| Letsile Tebogo | 19.46 |
| Kenny Bednarek | 19.62 |
| Noah Lyles | 19.70 |
| Erriyon Knighton | 19.99 |
| Alexander Ogando | 20.02 |
| Tapiwanashe Makarawu | 20.10 |
| Joseph Fahnbulleh | 20.15 |
| Makanakaishe Charamba | 20.53 |
