Shannon Sharpe has jumped to Noah Lyles defence after it was confirmed he was suffering from COVID-19 before the 200m final.
American football legend Shannon Sharpe has come to the defence of sprinter Noah Lyles following his bronze medal finish in the 200m race at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Lyles, who had just claimed the Olympic gold in the 100m, was unable to match the pace of Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who won gold with a time of 19.46, and his US teammate Kenneth Bednarek, who took silver in 19.62.
Lyles’s appearance, on a wheelchair, after the race sparked concerns about his health, which he later addressed.
“I do have COVID,” Lyles revealed. “I tested positive around 5am on Tuesday. I woke up feeling chills, aching, sore throat. Those were a lot of the symptoms I have had before getting COVID.
“I was like: ‘I need to test this one.’ It came back positive, so we quickly quarantined in a hotel near the village and they got me on as much medication as they legally could to make sure my body was able to keep the momentum going.”
Sharpe, a Hall of Fame NFL tight end known for his candid commentary, empathised with Lyles, particularly regarding the challenges of competing while dealing with a respiratory illness.
“I understand COVID affects your ability to oxygenate. Bring in oxygen and get out carbon dioxide,” Sharpe said on his Night Cap podcast. “We have all had upper respiratory issues and you know what it’s like when you have it. It is hard. I have tried to play football with that, and it ain’t easy. You can barely breathe.”
Sharpe also analysed the race dynamics, pointing out that Lyles had to expend a lot of energy trying to keep up with Bednarek, who was in front of him.
“Kenny Bednarek has run sub-19.6 and was directly in front of him, which is something to look at. I thought that was a lot of distance for Noah because you have to use a lot of energy, and yet Kenny has endurance and speed to hold it.”
Despite the focus on Lyles, Sharpe also praised Tebogo, the gold medallist, for his impressive performance. Tebogo, who holds the 300m world record, has demonstrated a rare combination of speed and endurance that Sharpe believes worked to his advantage.
“What gave me pause about whether Noah would pull this off is that I saw this young man [Tebogo] run low 44 in the 400, which tells me he is strong,” he added.
“He ran 9.8 in the final, which tells me he is strong. Noah Lyles ran like a 19.50. He has been running 400m, building his strength up. Running 9.80 in the 100m final shows he has the footspeed to carry that and he is running.”
Sharpe is optimistic about future matchups between Lyles and Tebogo, particularly if Lyles can regain full fitness. “Let’s say for the sake of argument that Noah Lyles is healthy and Tebogo is running like he did today. They would both be in the 19.3, and we will see something special.”
As Lyles continues to recover and prepare for future competitions, the potential rivalry between him and Tebogo is one to watch, with Sharpe predicting exciting races ahead./.
News
Jeanine Pirro ISN’T MAD At Whoopi Goldberg Following Their Explosive Fight During Of The View – Instead, She’s ACTUALLY THANKFUL.
Jeanine Pirro ISN’T MAD At Whoopi Goldberg Following Their Explosive Fight During Of The View – Instead, She’s ACTUALLY THANKFUL.** Gary Gershoff/WireImage; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images During the opening segment of Pirro’s Fox News show Justice with Judge Jeanine on Saturday, Pirro, 67,…
Katt Williams ACCUSED Oprah Winfrey Of Trying To Sacrifice Corey Feldman Because Of His Outspoken Criticism Of Hollywood!
*Katt Williams ACCUSED Oprah Winfrey of trying to sacrifice Corey Feldman because of his outspoken criticism of Hollywood!* Williams claims that some of the richest and most powerful individuals in Hollywood are involved in dark practices, including the exploitation and…
Taylor Swift’s Touching Gesture To Families Of Southport Victims Ahead Of Final Eras Tour Show At Wembley!
Taylor Swift has reportedly invited the families of the victims of the Southport stabbings to her final Eras Tour show at Wembley on Tuesday night. It comes after the Cruel Summer songstress, 34, met two young girls at one recent London gig…
Molly-Mae Hague says ‘She is waiting for more girls to speak out against Tommy Fury’, after the SHOCKING breakup announcement!
Molly-Mae Hague says ‘She is waiting for more girls to speak out against Tommy Fury’, after the SHOCKING breakup announcement!*** Devastated Molly-Mae Hague is ‘bracing herself’ for more girls to come forward with claims ex-fiancé Tommy Fury ‘cheated on her’ following their shock split….
Adria English filed a criminal complaint against Diddy, accusing him of trafficking her for s3* with party guests and threatening to blackmail her if she did not comply – a month after the launch civil lawsuit worth $50 billion.
A former porn star who has accused Diddy of sex trafficking her has filed a criminal complaint against him – one month after launching a $50billion civil suit. Adria English, whose stage name was Omunique, claims he trafficked her to have sex with party…
King’s tribute to Southport victims: Charles speaks with children who survived greeting well-wishers and inspecting sea of flowers and cuddly toys left in memory of three young girls who.
King’s tribute to Southport stabbing victims: Charles speaks with children who survived attack after greeting well-wishers and inspecting sea of flowers and cuddly toys left in memory of three young girls who were killed. The King has paid tribute to…
End of content
No more pages to load