After being crowned the new men’s 100m champion, Lyles had to settle for the bronze medal in the longer distance, with Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo storming home in an African-record time of 19.46 seconds.
Lyles’ fellow countryman Kenny Bednarek came home in third place to claim silver at a rapturous Stade de France.
But just moments after the athletes crossed the finish line, it came to light that Lyles had tested positive for Covid-19 and the American was pictured being taken off the track in a wheelchair in the French capital.
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‘Just hearing… we’ve been told by US Track and Field that Noah Lyles has got Covid,’ BBC presenter Logan told a shocked Jessica Ennis-Hill, Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis in the track-side studio.
‘A decision to race is one thing when you have something like that but also the introductions [stadium entrances]…
‘Really interesting, that that’s a waste of energy.’
Logan suggested there would be many viewers questioning Lyles’ decision to go ahead and compete given the American would likely have been mixing with his fellow athletes and rivals prior to the final.
‘There’s also, I imagine, some people thinking, “Well hang on, you’re going in the call room, you’re with people in a small space, there’s a potential to give other people Covid”,’ she added.
‘It seems to be quite a selfish decision.’
Later in the programme, the BBC showed images of Lyles wearing a mask in the call room prior to the race and Logan went on to question the American’s decision to hug his compatriot Bednarek after the final.
‘Noah Lyles in the call room with a face mask on… so, obviously, that backs up the Covid story that has emerged,’ she said.
‘But also in the call room and then you’ve [Johnson] just shown me a picture on social media of him cuddling Kenny Bednarek after the race.’
In response, Johnson said he was ‘morally’ unsure about Lyles decision to embrace Bednarek if he knew he had Covid.
‘Very bizarre because Covid is still a dangerous disease and Kenny Bednarek is a member of the 4x100m relay team so it’s just bizarre. The whole thing is really weird,’ Johnson said.
‘There’s gonna be all this sort of thing about there being Noah Lyles haters out there and he’s set himself up for that.
‘There’s going to be people saying it’s not real and he’s faking or whatever, but putting that aside… having Covid and being out here in close proximity with other people… I know there’s probably not a policy I guess at these Games. But still, morally I’m not sure about it.’
According to Johnson, there had been rumours of Lyles coming down with an illness on the eve of the 200m final.
‘They said he went to a medical yesterday and that was a rumour going around, that he was sick or maybe had an illness or there was something going around in the village,’ the former 200m and 400m world-record holder continued.
‘They didn’t say Covid but they said something so I would imagine they would have known that yesterday.’
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