Paris Olympics: America's Noah Lyles left gasping for air on track as security refuses help

American track and field athlete Noah Lyles' mother, Keisha Caine Bishop, shared on her official Instagram about her terrifying experience of watching her son struggle to breathe on the track at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She said that the stadium security refused to call a doctor and ignored him while he lay down on the track.

After completing his race in the 200m event and winning the bronze medal, Lyles, who has asthma, lay on the ground grasping for breath, but no one came forward to provide him with medical assistance immediately.

It is reported that after several minutes Lyles was taken off the track in a wheelchair after the race which was won by Letsile Tebogo from Botswana. The athlete revealed that he tested positive for COVID two days before finishing 3rd in 200m finals on Thursday.

While the American athlete managed to bag a bronze medal in the race, he felt that his performance could have been better if he hadn't been sick with COVID, which impacted his overall strength.

Following the incident, Lyles' mother, Bishop, remarked that it was one of the scariest moments of her life and added, "Watching my son hold his chest gasping for air while the stadium security refused to call a Doctor was heart-wrenching."

She added that she begged them to send him help, but they refused anything to do and totally ignored her. "No parent should ever have to experience this feeling of helplessness," outlined Keisha.

She further noted that NBC Olympics came forward to help her child during that moment and thanked them for seeing her and his son as human beings and not just another story.

"Words cannot express my gratitude for your empathy, professionalism, and kindness. Also, thank you to the USA Track and Field staff who let me cry on their shoulders. To the security team, I pray that if your loved one ever needs help, they will get treated better than you treated us. I also thank God he is getting better," remarked Keisha Caine Bishop.
 
Notably, after receiving proper treatment, Noah Lyles in an interview said that his health conditions definelity impacted his performance but he is proud of himself than anything. He also took to Instagram to thank his supporters and noted that it was the end of his 2024 Olympics journey, assuring everyone that he wont be competing in future events.

In addition to this, the USA Track and Field said in a statement that their team had enacted all required protocols to prioritize the well-being of the entire team and the safety of fellow competitors after Lyles' positive COVID test on Tuesday.

They assured everyone that their primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes so that they can rightfully participate in future events.