Anyone else watch the men's 200m final?

[Pumpkinz]

Letslie Tebogo smashed the 200m. Lyles came out spinning and cocky to chants of 'USA, USA'. Looked like he thought he was going to win. He ended up with bronze then was carted away in a wheelchair because he has covid (honestly I just have a gut feeling he was embarrassed didn't get gold which he assumed was in the bag and acted a clown pre-race, was the wheelchair necessary?). Then Tobogo stating he can't be the face of the Olympics because he isn't arrogant or loud.

Lots of people are pulling out and choosing not to participate because they have covid and don't want to give it to others. Noah Lyles knew he had covid and only chose to tell everyone after he failed to get gold. Hmm.

Tobogo's mum died 2 months ago. I've followed him for a long time. Usain Bolt said he was impressed with him pre olympics. He was so humble and gracious in his win.

Anyone else watch?

I must admit, I had it on in the background, but wasn’t watching it properly. I did hear the comments made by Michael Johnson about Noah having Covid, and he wasn’t impressed that he knowingly put his competitors/team mates at risk of also catching it.

I watched it, but had my 6yo with me so didn't hear the chat.

Only heard after that Lyles has covid. I haven't warmed to him at all, I don't like that kind of cockiness. But I'm torn on the covid thing - if they're not required to withdraw then I can understand someone with a genuine medal prospect wanting to compete. Most people aren't isolating with covid these days.

Was happy for Tebogo, hadn't heard about his mum, that makes it even lovelier.

Yes, I watched it. They had a shot of Noah before the race in the changing room with a mask on. I mean, COVID can be bloody horrible and I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't been able to do his best. We're talking fractions of a second. The guy that won it - I'm so pleased for him. He was slightly built compared with the others, and to get Botswana's first medal (I think that's what they said) is wonderful.

Tobogo was amazing. Just understated, graceful, he’s a beautiful human. So great to get the first medal for Botswana. I wish the commentators had focused on that rather than Lyles.

He hugged Tebogo afterwards. Apparently he had a mask on prior but the other athletes didn't know it was covid. However my dislike for Lyles may be clouding my judgement 😅

Did you see the press conference after? He's really wonderful.

In previous years though athletes wouldn't have been pulling out or distancing with colds, flu, noro etc, they would have been praised for soldiering on.

Obviously covid needed to be treated differently in March 2020, but I think we're getting to the point now that we just treat it as we would any other illness. That was the point of lockdown, to slow it until we could reach that point.

I don't know, like I said, I'm torn.

Also, if the IOC or whoever runs athletics think it's immoral to compete with covid then they need to put it in the rules rather than placing the decision on individual athletes and their teams who've been training years for this moment.

Sure and I don't want to derail into a thread about covid, as you said he didn't bream any rules. I was just really happy to see someone so humble win quietly and gracefully after Lyles had told everyone they were going to be depressed after he comes round the turn and he's not going to be beaten. As you can see I get really riled up by awful sportsmanship 😅

So pleased Tobogo got his gold - much deserved. But I like NW's spirit of entertainment too.

Lots of people are pulling out and choosing not to participate because they have covid and don't want to give it to others.

Are they? Who has pulled out?

I would be surprised if any elite athlete who was on track to win anything would miss the Olympics for COVID, knowing lots of the other athletes and the audience have it. If the organisers wanted, they could require a clear test before competing, but they rightly don't.

Lyles either didn't have COVID, lost the race and was having an attention seeker moment with the wheelchair etc to make it all about him (and the commentators on BBC indulged that).

Or he had COVID and, whilst I understood he would still want to run, he was happily spreading it around to others. Remember there's still races to come. The mask wearing moment was after the race, not before. COVID might be mostly mild now, but having COVID or a cold can damage athletes performances so it's not fair to spread it.

Either way (or maybe a bit of both) Tebogo won the 200m and it's him that we and the commentators should be focusing on!

Lani Pallister, and Australian water polo team members, I also read about a gymnast not competing because of covid in early stages but cannot remember who so this could be incorrect. He didn't break the rules so you're not wrong at all.

Honestly just think Noah Lyles is a bit of a clown and find him embarrassing. I get that a lot of people like his kind of showmanship though, just not my cup of tea.

I watched it. Can't bear Noah Lyles, or indeed most of the cocky, showy American sprinters. A lot of sound and fury often signifying nothing, as they are beaten by tiny nations with zero sporting infrastructure.

Watch "Sprint" on Netflix, and you will be overcome by admiration for small countries like Jamaica, whose sprinters have emerged from incredible poverty to dominate sprinting. I am so sad Shelly- Ann Fraser Pryce and Shericka Jackson couldn't run.

Eh, i find the cocky showmanship in the sprinting entertaining, even more when they then 'lose'. It's not just the Americans that do it though?

Not just American athletes. But mostly. If you are going to run with Covid, then run with Covid. Or pull out.

No need to make a big song and dance taking attention away from the actual winner. If everyone has Covid and not isolating it shouldn't be a big deal, no?

I really, really dislike Lyles and was gutted that he won the 100m.

He was, as Michael Johnson pointed out, selfish and irresponsible to share space and hug the other athletes knowing that he had Covid when they were unaware of that. Adam Peaty didn't know he had Covid when he swam last week - and when he did find out, he didn't compete with other athletes in subsequent events while testing positive. Lyles knew he had Covid and still spent time in close proximity to other athletes without telling them, which is shitty behaviour.

Edit - I appreciate that he didn't break any rules, but I think that out of consideration and respect for others he should have pulled out of the race, or at the very least, told the other competitors so they could chose to wear masks around him before the race and avoid hugging him afterwards.

The chances of them catching covid outside are minimal, it was the hugging I didn't like. They didn't know he had covid. I wouldn't want to hug someone with covid. Even if I have a cold I refrain!

I actually don't mind the cockiness in general; it's just that Lyles is off the scale and really OTT in a way that I find irritating. I don't have a problem with the other American sprinters, or American athletes in general.