"Did I want to get COVID?" - Noah Lyles opens up on early withdrawal from Paris Olympics amid claims of winning three gold medals

Noah Lyles started the Paris Olympics on a blazing note, as he won the 100m gold, edging out Kishane Thompson.The American was also among the favorites in the 200m event but contracting COVID-19 could only see him take a bronze medal, finishing behind Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek.

Lyles had already made a name for himself through his exploits at the World Championships, where he won three golds. The American recently opened up on his preparation for the 100m event in Paris while appearing on a YouTube podcast with LetsRun.

"It wasn't until we got to 2023, where we really started getting stronger in the weight room, and I was being able to handle a lot of practices for the 100[m]. So all, you know, the ideas and the structures that we were building up to was finally coming together, and then we're like okay, if we can't get it in 2023 [World Championships], then you know we're going to have to change something seriously," Lyles said. [4:35 onwards]

The 27-year-old also talked about his approach towards the Paris Olympics, especially when he was afflicted with the COVID-19 a day before the 200m finals.

"Overall you know what like, so what, I lose, I come back next year. You know just like this Olympics, did I want to get COVID? Heck no! Did I want to win? Definitely, but if I don't, I'm gonna come back again!"

Noah Lyles won a gold medal in the 100m, and a bronze medal in the 200m event at the Paris Olympics 2024. He had to withdraw from the 4x100m relay event due to his serious condition after the 200m finals.

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Noah Lyles on the fear of failure at the Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles in action at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source : Getty]

During the aforementioned podcast, Noah Lyles also talked about the thoughts of failure before the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old Olympic champion sprinter why he considered every opportunity as a new learning experience. In his words,

"I don't think I could look at myself if I didn't try, and that's the thing that stops so many people. They don't want to try, and fail. If you fail, like my mom says, that's just the first step in learning."

In an earlier interview in September 2024, Lyles also talked about why he didn't perform his best in the 200m finals. In his words,

"I was trying to rely on how fast I could get up to top speed and my ability to be able to hold top speed. It got me the bronze medal but it wasn’t enough for me to do better."

Lyles also revealed that his fiance Junelle Bromfield warned him against adopting this strategy.

"Now my girlfriend has said many times that I’m never allowed to use that strategy again and I’m in full belief with her that I will never use that strategy again."

Noah Lyles recently made a visit to the Las Vegas Grand Prix alongside Junelle Bromfield. Apart from preparing for the upcoming athletic season of 2025, the sprinter is also preparing for a showdown with NFL player Tyreek Hill, who had challenged him to a one-on-one race.