He later revealed that his Olympics were likely over as he took to Instagram to thank fans for their support.
Lyles had been set to compete in the 4×100 relay but said he ‘hope[d] everyone enjoyed the show.’
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Lyles (back left) crossed the line in third place, despite being the red-hot favorite for the race
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Lyles was clearly struggling for breath after finishing third in the event on Thursday
Lyles told NBC, while masked up: ‘I woke up early about 5am Tuesday morning, feeling really horrible. I knew it was more than being sore from the 100. My first thought was not to panic, I’ve been in worse situations, I’ve been in worse conditions.
‘I took it day by day, tried to hydrate as much. It would say it has taken its toll, for sure, but I have never been more proud of myself coming out here and getting a bronze.’
Lyles later said that the other competitors were unaware of his diagnosis: ‘We tried to keep it close to our chest. The medical staff, my coach and my mom knew.
‘We didn’t want everybody to go into a panic. We wanted to be able to compete. We wanted to be able to make it discreet as possible and you don’t want to tell your competitors you are sick. Why would you give them an edge?’
For Tebogo, this was a particularly emotional night because it is only two months since he lost his mother, Seratiwa.
The 21-year-old did not train for a month, being struck with grief as he mourned the loss of his biggest cheerleader.
At the 2023 World Championships, Seratiwa had snuck in to the stands to watch Tebogo without him knowing.
In tribute to his mum, Tebogo wore shoes bearing his mother’s date of birth.
‘It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take,’ he said. ‘Me, to take her, it gives me a lot of motivation.
‘I didn’t want to put the date of her death, because I’ll get emotional. I took about a month without doing anything. It wasn’t really clicking for me that she’s really gone. For me, I have to find the reason why I started my athletics journey and why I should continue going on.
‘(If she were here) I believe she could be one of the happiest people on the planet because she believed in me when I doubted myself.’
Share or comment on this article: Letsile Tebogo delivers savage verdict on ‘arrogant’ Noah Lyles after beating Team USA sprinter to win 200m gold at Olympics – moments before US star admitted to positive Covid test