Team USA track star Noah Lyles won the 100m to earn the title of “Fastest Man in the World” at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he was not so successful during the 200m where he finished in third. It was later revealed that Lyles was suffering through COVID-19, and that led to a pretty scary situation after the race.
Following the race, Noah Lyles laid down on his back and held his chest as he struggled to catch his breath, possibly due to his COVID infection. In a post on social media after the event, Keisha Bishop, Lyles’ mother, called it “one of the scariest moments of my life” and blasted the Paris Olympics security team for their lack of a response.
“This was one of the scariest moments of my life! Watching my son hold his chest gasping for air while the stadium security refused to call a Dr. as I begged them to send him help. They also refused to do anything to help. They totally ignored me! No parent should ever have to experience this feeling of helplessness! However, I want to thank the @nbcolympics team for helping me during this moment. Thank you for seeing me & my son as human beings and not just another story,” she wrote in her post on Instagram.
“Words cannot express my gratitude for your empathy, professionalism, and kindness. Also thank you @usatf staff who let me cry on their shoulders. To the security team, I pray if your loved one ever needs help, they get treated better than you treated us. I also thank God he is getting better.”
Lyles eventually caught his breath and was fine after some time.
