Olympics-Athletics-COVID-hit Lyles coughed through the night before taking 200m bronze

Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 200m Final - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 08, 2024. Bronze medallist Noah Lyles of United States reacts after the race. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

PARIS (Reuters) - Noah Lyles, who tested positive for COVID on Tuesday and took bronze in the Olympic 200 metres sprint on Thursday, said the virus "definitely" affected his performance, and that he had been coughing through the night ahead of the race.

The U.S. athlete, who has asthma, was taken off the track in a wheelchair after the finish as he battled to catch his breath and tore his singlet half off.