American superstar sprinter Noah Lyles was taken from the track in a wheelchair after claiming bronze in the 200m on a dramatic night at the Stade de France.
Chasing a famous sprint double after winning gold in the 100m earlier this week, Lyles finished third behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and fellow American Kenny Bednarek.
After crossing the line third for the second straight Olympics, Lyles fell to his back and writhed in pain, staying down for nearly 30 seconds before getting up.
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He was tended to by medical staff before leaving the track in a wheelchair.
After the race, Lyles revealed he had COVID. He tested positive on Tuesday and quickly quarantined himself.
“It definitely affected my performance,” the American said.
“I still wanted to run. They said it was possible.”
It is the second successive Olympics that the virus has played a major role in Lyles’ story. He also won the bronze in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and he has said the empty stands and the year-long delay before the Games led to a depression that hampered his performance.
There has been no decision made on whether Lyles will run in the 4x100m relay team with the Americans hot favourites for gold.
Lyles didn’t run in the heat, but USA still clocked the fastest time.
Tebogo flew home in the final straight, stopping the clock in an African record of 19.46 to move up to fifth spot on the alltime list.
Gold medallist Tebogo paid tribute to his mother, who died in May, racing to victory in a pair of shoes with her birthdate emblazoned on them.
“It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take on the field,” he said.
“For me to take her, it gives me a lot of motivation.
“She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy.
“I didn’t want to put the date of her death, because I’ll get emotional.”
Elsewhere, American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has smashed her own 400m hurdles world record and destroyed Dutch rival Femke Bol to win Olympic gold in spectacular style.
McLaughlin-Levrone controlled the race from the gun and then accelerated away in the final straight on Thursday night to successfully defend her title.
The winning time of 50.37 seconds eclipsed McLaughlin-Levrone’s previous world mark of 50.65 set at the US Olympic trials in June.
Fellow American Anna Cockrell finished strongly to take the silver in 51.87 and a disappointed Bol hung on for third in 52.15.
“All you want to do in an Olympic final is to put up your best race and I screwed it up,” said Bol, who anchored the Dutch squad to a dramatic gold in the 4x400m mixed relay five days ago.
“I’m not sure where I made the mistake.
“I just got so much lactic acid with 300m to go.”
McLaughlin-Levrone, 25, has now broken the world record six times and is 3-0 in head-to-head clashes with Bol, who had the support of thousands of orange-clad Dutch fans in the Stade de France.
American Grant Holloway finally added a first Olympic 110m hurdles gold to his three world titles, cliaming victory in 12.99.
Daniel Roberts from the US shaded Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell in a photo finish for silver.
Tara Davis-Woodhall was the United States’ third gold medallist of a great session for the track and field powerhouse.
Davis-Woodhall (7.10m) succeeded German Malaika Mihambo as Olympic women’s long jump champion.
Mihambo took silver with 6.98m and another US jumper, Jasmine Moore, was third (6.96m).
The fierce sporting rivalry between Pakistan and India moved from its regular spot on the cricket field to the men’s javelin on Thursday.
And it was Pakistan which came out on top, Arshad Nadeem winning gold with a Games record throw of 92.97m ahead of 2020 Olympic champ Neeraj Chopra from India (89.45m) and Grenada’s Anderson Peters (88.54m).
– With AAP
