Olympics track and field Latest: Lyles diagnosed with COVID 2 days before 200 final, AP source says

PARIS — The latest updates from track and field events at Stade de France on Thursday at the Paris Olympics.

U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles missed out on the double in the 200-meter final.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the United States and Femke Bol of the Netherlands will go head-to-head in the 400-meter hurdles final.

McLaughlin-Levrone is the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion. She beat Bol at the Tokyo Olympics, then again at 2022 world championships. Bol, the reigning world champion, ran an inspired anchor leg for the Dutch to win gold in the 4×400-meter mixed relay on Saturday.

American sprinting star Noah Lyles is dealing with COVID-19.

The men’s 100-meter champion was diagnosed with COVID two days before the 200-meter final, a source close to the situation told the AP.

Lyles seemed to be his typical amped-up self during introductions. He couldn’t quite keep pace with gold medalist Letsile Tebogo or American teammate Kenny Bednarek, who grabbed silver.

Lyles held on for bronze then fell to the track afterward.

There will be no golden double for American sprinter Noah Lyles.

The 100-meter champion could only salvage bronze in the men’s 200-meter final.

Letsile Tebogo of Botswana earned the gold with a time of 19.46. Tebogo was in control the whole way, beating silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek by a stride.

Lyles, who raced out onto the track trying to amp up the crowd, held on for third. He fell to the track in the immediate aftermath and was tended to by trainers before getting up and walking over to a nearby bench.

Lyles had edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second in the 100. He was a heavy favorite in the 200 — his better race — though he trailed Tebogo in Wednesday’s qualifying heat.

Defending Olympic long jump champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany has history working against her as she looks to defend her title in the women’s final.

No woman has won consecutive golds in the event since it was introduced at the 1948 London Games.

German great Heike Drechsler is the only two-time Olympic champion. She reached the top of the podium in 1992 in Barcelona and again in Sydney eight years later. Drechsler began her Olympic career with a silver in 1988 while competing for East Germany.

The long jump final is part of a busy night at Stade de France that will include the men’s 200-meter and women’s 400-meter hurdles final.

Sha’Carri Richardson bailed out the U.S. women out from a near collapse earlier Thursday in the Olympic 4×100 relay, overcoming a German runner in the anchor leg to help the Americans win their heat and move to the gold-medal race.

The U.S. men, who haven’t won a medal in this event since 2004, advanced easily despite a small hiccup. In the strangest twist of all, it was Jamaica’s men who struggled with the baton and will be sitting on the sideline for Friday’s final.

In the women’s race, Richardson was about three steps behind after receiving the baton from Gabby Thomas, who earlier nearly misconnected on her exchange with Twanisha Terry.

That put Richardson in a hole against Rebekka Haase, but the 100-meter silver medal winner was looking back at Haase by the finish. The U.S. won in 41.94 seconds, .19 ahead of the Germans.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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