Sports

(LONDON) — Noah Lyles’ characteristically exuberant walkout for Thursday’s 200-meter final gave little indication that the American sprinter was among the dozens of athletes who have tested positive for COVID or other respiratory illnesses.

But within minutes, the track star was being pushed from the stadium in a wheelchair, in visible discomfort following his bronze medal-winning performance.

“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” Lyles wrote soon after on his Instagram page.

Lyles is the latest athlete to test positive for COVID-19 at an Olympic Games that has almost entirely done away with the strict health guidance that shaped the Tokyo 2020 games, which itself was delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

In Paris, there are no prohibitions on competitors or spectators who have tested positive for the virus.

The Paris Games is being lauded as an Olympic return to form, the City of Light’s venues packed with excited spectators — among them athletes’ friends and families, many of whom were unable to travel to Tokyo.

But the collective joy is coming at a cost.

British swimmer Adam Peaty, Australian swimmers Lani Pallister and Zac Stubblety-Cook, and German decathlete Manuel Eitel are among at least 40 athletes that had tested positive for COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses as of Tuesday, according to the World Health Organization’s event-based surveillance system, which collates reports from media and other verified sources.

The Paris Games’ 182-page media handbook contains no mention of COVID-19. The event’s online guidance for spectators directs visitors to the Interior Ministry’s website, which notes that the nation now exempts all travelers from any COVID-related “formalities prior to entry into France.”

A Paris 2024 spokesperson told ABC News: “We are closely monitoring the health situation in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.”

“We regularly remind athletes, and all stakeholders at the Games, of the best practices to follow in the event of respiratory symptoms: wear a mask in the presence of others, limit contact and wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hydroalcoholic gel,” the spokesperson said.

“All National Olympic Committees and International Federations are also free to implement additional measures for their athletes or competitions,” the spokesperson added.

COVID cases are rising in the U.S. and elsewhere, an uptick at least partially attributed to the new “FLiRT” variation of the virus.

Long COVID — an umbrella term referring to a raft of chronic conditions related to COVID infection — also still poses a significant problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in March that 6.8% of American adults said they were living with long COVID symptoms, which vary in severity and can include difficulty concentrating, recurring headaches, changes in memory, and persistent fatigue.

Lyles’ high-profile struggles on Thursday have prompted fresh questions for organizers and athletes, not least as the American sprinter had been hugging fellow athletes despite knowing of his positive test.

USA Track & Field told ABC News in a statement on Friday that it and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee “swiftly enacted all necessary protocols” to prioritize Lyles’ health following his positive COVID test, as well as the “wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors.”

“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” it added. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”

“As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance,” it said.

Kenneth Bednarek, the American who won the silver medal in the 200-meter contest, downplayed the danger, telling reporters at a press conference after the race: “I don’t think I was put at risk at all.”

“I take care of my body,” Bednarek added. “So when it comes to getting sick, that’s rare for me. So, I mean, when I found out it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — Noah Lyles’ characteristically exuberant walkout for Thursday’s 200-meter final gave little indication that the American sprinter was among the dozens suffering from COVID-19.

But within minutes, the track star was being pushed from the stadium in a wheelchair, in visible discomfort following his bronze medal-winning performance.

“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” Lyles wrote soon after on his Instagram page.

Lyles is the latest athlete to test positive for COVID-19 at an Olympic Games that has almost entirely done away with the strict health guidance that shaped the Tokyo 2020 games, which itself was delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

The Paris Games is being lauded as an Olympic return to form, the City of Light’s venues packed with excited spectators — among them athletes’ friends and families, many of whom were unable to travel to Tokyo.

But the collective joy is coming at a cost.

British swimmer Adam Peaty, Australian swimmers Lani Pallister and Zac Stubblety-Cook, and German decathlete Manuel Eitel are among at least 40 athletes that had tested positive for COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses as of Tuesday, according to the World Health Organization’s event-based surveillance system, which collates reports from media and other verified sources.

The Paris Games’ 182-page media handbook contains no mention of COVID-19. The event’s online guidance for spectators directs visitors to the Interior Ministry’s website, which notes that the nation now exempts all travelers from any COVID-related “formalities prior to entry into France.”

A Paris 2024 spokesperson told ABC News: “We are closely monitoring the health situation in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.”

“We regularly remind athletes, and all stakeholders at the Games, of the best practices to follow in the event of respiratory symptoms: wear a mask in the presence of others, limit contact and wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hydroalcoholic gel,” the spokesperson said.

“All National Olympic Committees and International Federations are also free to implement additional measures for their athletes or competitions,” the spokesperson added.

COVID cases are rising in the U.S. and elsewhere, an uptick at least partially attributed to the new “FLiRT” variation of the virus.

Long COVID — an umbrella term referring to a raft of chronic conditions related to COVID infection — also still poses a significant problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in March that 6.8% of American adults said they were living with long COVID symptoms, which vary in severity and can include difficulty concentrating, recurring headaches, changes in memory, and persistent fatigue.

Lyles’ high-profile struggles on Thursday have prompted fresh questions for organizers and athletes, not least as the American sprinter had been hugging fellow athletes despite knowing of his positive test.

USA Track & Field told ABC News in a statement on Friday that it and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee “swiftly enacted all necessary protocols” to prioritize Lyles’ health following his positive COVID test, as well as the “wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors.”

“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” it added. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”

“As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance,” it said.

Kenneth Bednarek, the American who won the silver medal in the 200-meter contest, downplayed the danger, telling reporters at a press conference after the race: “I don’t think I was put at risk at all.”

“I take care of my body,” Bednarek added. “So when it comes to getting sick, that’s rare for me. So, I mean, when I found out it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Tampa Bay Rays 6, St. Louis Cardinals 4

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto Blue Jays 7, Baltimore Orioles 6
LA Angels 9, NY Yankees 4
Detroit Tigers 3, Seattle Mariners 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco Giants 9, Washington Nationals 5
San Diego Padres 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 6
Milwaukee Brewers 16, Atlanta Braves 7
NY Mets 9, Colorado Rockies 1
Cincinnati Reds 10, Miami Marlins 4
Philadelphia Phillies 6, Arizona Diamondbacks 4

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(PARIS) — Noah Lyles came up short in his quest for the 100-meter, 200-meter double at the Paris Olympics. He did get the bronze, but had been aiming to be the first American to win both in 40 years.

Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo took the gold in 19.46 seconds, running away from American Kenny Bednarek — who took silver — and Lyles.

Lyles told NBC after the race he tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, but chose to race anyway. His representative confirmed the diagnosis to ABC News.

Lyles was the favorite in the event, but ran only 19.70. He has a career-best of 19.31 — set at the world championships in 2022 — and a season best of 19.53.

Lyles looked extremely fatigued after the race and sat down on the track after the event. He was attended to by medical professionals and taken off the track in a wheelchair.

The 21-year-old Tebogo set a career-best time in the final as well as an African record.

Lyles also took bronze in Tokyo three years ago.

Usain Bolt is the last person to accomplish the 100 meters and 200 meters — in 2016 — when he did it for the third straight Olympics. Carl Lewis was the last American to win the 100 and 200 when he did the double at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

Lyles won the 100 meters on Tuesday in a historically close race. He edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by just 0.005 seconds.

Lyles was attempting to win three golds at the Paris Games by also winning in the 100-meter relay. Lewis is also the last person to win the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100-meter relay when he did it in 1984.

Following his win in the 100 meters, Lyles was asked how he felt about completing the triple.

“Pretty confident,” he said. “I can’t lie.”

Lyles ran the anchor leg in the qualifying heats Thursday, taking first place in the group. The final will be held Friday at 1:47 p.m. ET. He told NBC he wasn’t sure if he would run in the 100 meters, but was leaning toward not competing.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As Olympic gymnastics came to a close in Paris, ABC News’ Good Morning America caught up with 11-time Olympic medalist and Team USA star Simone Biles, who has become the face of conversations on mental health.

For Biles, maintaining a strong routine outside the gym to focus on her emotional and psychological well-being was imperative for executing the best possible routines at the Paris Games.

“Staying on my weekly therapy sessions and even whenever I was here, I was scheduling appointments with my therapist that could work, whether it was early in the morning for me or early in the morning for her,” she said, speaking about how she’s balanced everything at the Games. “Staying on top of that meant the world to me, but also it helped me with my performances.”

Biles’ repeated emphasis on speaking up about the importance of mental heath has resonated with other athletes.

“I think it’s OK to not be OK. And I think I showed a very vulnerable side that most people don’t see, because most of the time, whenever I’m out there, they’re seeing me win gold medals and all this stuff that’s not relatable,” she said. “So, whenever I really break it down and I am very authentic to them, then they can feel like they can relate, and it’s on a personal level, and then they believe that they can get the help that they deserve.”

Biles added four more medals to her already illustrious career this summer, with three gold medals and one silver.

But it wasn’t just Biles’ therapy sessions that helped her: The entire team had access to a fully accredited furry companion named Beacon, who made the trip to help keep all five women calm throughout the competition.

The 4-year-old golden retriever is the organization’s first therapy dog, according to ESPN, and spent time comforting coaches and athletes alike during the Games.

Between the therapy sessions, Beacon’s support and impressive performances from individual events to the team final, the U.S. women will leave Paris with eight medals total.

They won the team gold medal; Biles won two additional gold individual medals in all-around and vault, plus silver in floor; Sunisa Lee won bronze in both all-around and uneven bars; Jade Carey won bronze in vault; and Chiles earned bronze for floor.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians POSTPONED
Minnesota Twins 3, Chicago Cubs 7
Tampa Bay Rays 3, St Louis Cardinals 4

AMERICAN LEAGUE
LA Angels, NY Yankees POSTPONED
Baltimore Orioles 2, Toronto Blue Jays 5
Boston Red Sox 6, Kansas City Royals 5
Texas Rangers 4, Houston Astros 2
Chicago White Sox 5, Oakland Athletics 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Milwaukee Brewers 10, Atlanta Braves 0
N.Y. Mets 3, Colorado Rockies 6
San Francisco Giants 5, Washington Nationals 11
Cincinnati Reds 8, Miami Marlins 2
Philadelphia Phillies 2, L.A. Dodgers 2
San Diego Padres 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 0

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(PARIS) — U.S. women’s gymnastics star Jordan Chiles won two medals at the Summer Olympic Games.

Chiles joined ABC News’ Good Morning America from Disneyland Paris on Tuesday fresh off her bronze medal win in the floor exercise final.

“There were so many emotions, so many things going through my mind when I found out I got that bronze medal,” Chiles said. “I couldn’t be more proud of myself.”

After the finale event on Monday, which wrapped up the women’s artistic gymnastics competitions at the Summer Games, the U.S. women will leave Paris with eight medals total.

They won the team gold medal; Biles won two additional gold individual medals in all-around and vault, plus silver in floor; Sunisa Lee got bronze in both all-around and uneven bars; Jade Carey won bronze in vault; and Chiles earned bronze for floor.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and “Good Morning America.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(PARIS) — A show of true sportsmanship and respect unfolded in Bercy Arena as U.S. gymnastics stars Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowed to their Brazilian competitor, Rebeca Andrade, who earned her second Olympics gold medal in floor exercise on Monday.

The American teammates flanked Andrade on the podium — earning silver and bronze, respectively — and bowed down in a show of support to celebrate the 25-year-old as she raised her arms on the top step.

Olympics history made in Paris: First all-Black gymnastics podium

The now-viral celebration also marked a historic moment as Andrade, Biles and Chiles became the first all-Black gymnastics podium — men or women — in Olympics history.

“First, it was an all-Black podium, so that was super exciting for us,” Biles told reporters in a press conference. “But then Jordan was like, ‘Should we bow to her?’ And I was like, ‘absolutely’ — it was just the right thing to do.”

“She’s so amazing. She’s queen,” Biles said. “She’s such an excitement to watch — all the fans in the crowd always cheering for her.”

Andrade also took home bronze in the team event and two silver medals in vault and all-around. She also owns a gold from vault in Tokyo.

Chiles, who earned her third career Olympic medal, echoed her teammate’s sentiments, adding that Andrade is “a legend herself.”

“In that moment, I was like, ‘You know what? First off — yes, it was an all-Black podium.’ Second off, ‘Why don’t we just give her her flowers?’ Not only has she given Simone her flowers, but a lot of us in the United States our flowers as well. So, giving it back, is what makes it so beautiful. … I felt like it was needed,” she said.

US women’s gymnastics medal count in Paris

After the floor exercise final, which wrapped up the women’s artistic gymnastics competitions at the Summer Games, the U.S. women will leave Paris with eight medals total.

They won the team gold medal; Biles won two additional gold individual medals in all-around and vault, plus silver in floor; Sunisa Lee got bronze in both all-around and uneven bars; Jade Carey won bronze in vault; and Chiles earned bronze for floor.

Hezly Rivera, 16, who did not compete in Paris, will still go home with the team gold as the fifth squad member.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Cleveland Guardians 6
Minnesota Twins 3, Chicago Cubs 0

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston Red Sox 9, Kansas City Royals 5
Texas Rangers 4, Houston Astros 3
Chicago White Sox 1, Oakland Athletics 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE
N.Y. Mets 6, St. Louis Cardinals 0
San Francisco Giants 4, Washington Nationals 1
Cincinnati Reds 10, Miami Marlins 3
Philadelphia Phillies 3, L.A. Dodgers 5

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(PARIS) — Simone Biles faltered in her last routine at the Paris Olympics, with a heavily wrapped left calf, but will still leave the Games with a silver medal in the floor event. Fellow American Jordan Chiles came through with a shocking bronze medal, even though celebrations had already begun with another athlete.

Biles brings her total Olympic medal count to 11 overall, including four total from the Paris Games.

In a bit of confusion after teammate Jordan Chiles’ score was first posted as only good enough for fifth place, a review led to an increase and the bronze medal. Romanian Ana Barbosu had already begun celebrating the bronze before Chiles’ adjusted score was posted.

Biles trailed Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade 14.166 who won gold.

In her final routine of the Summer Games, Biles started with a significantly higher difficulty rating than her competitors, which helped her stay in podium position after she stepped out of bounds twice and was docked 0.6 points.

The medal came just hours after Biles finished a disappointing fifth in the balance beam final due to a fall. She had been aiming to win her eighth career gold medal in that event.

The U.S. women had a sterling performance in gymnastics in the Paris Games taking home gold in the all-around team final last Tuesday, followed by a gold for Biles and a bronze for Suni Lee in the individual all-around competition on Thursday.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.