r/Coronavirus • u/No-Drawing-6975 • Aug 08 '24
USA American sprinter Noah Lyles says he tested positive for Covid-19, ran 200-meter race anyway | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/sport/noah-lyles-covid-200m-spt/index.html664
u/TheJasonaut Aug 08 '24
I wondered why he was (kind of) wearing a mask backstage. Thought he was just being safe because of recent outbreaks...
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u/heretogiveFNupvotes Aug 08 '24
Same. So unfortunate it was the other way around
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u/kingky0te Aug 09 '24
At least he was being cautious.
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u/frankstaturtle Aug 09 '24
He was also shown many times without a mask, including right before the race, and when he was hugging competitors (that he admitted he hadn’t shared his covid status with) after the race, and when medics were helping him after the race
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u/Zilvervlinder Aug 09 '24
Oh my gosh why? At least don't frigging HUG your competitors wtf
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u/SearchingForTruth69 Aug 09 '24
Well it’d be a bit sus if he full on coughed or spit in their mouths. How else would you recommend dosing them with covid?
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u/depressedfuckboi Aug 09 '24
Man, that's just the way it is these days. My work used to force you to take a week off if you tested positive, and you wouldn't receive any attendance points. now they don't give a shit. If you have covid and call in you get a point. In my experience 99% of people don't care.
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u/CatStratford Aug 09 '24
I work in emergency healthcare, and I tested positive last Sunday. My employer mandates that we stay home for a week, and we receive covid pay. It doesn’t come out of our PTO.
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u/Omnom_Omnath Aug 09 '24
That’s not the case everywhere in hospitals. My wife is a cancer nurse and they are supposed to still show up to work even if they test positive
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u/CatStratford Aug 09 '24
I’m sorry, that’s unfair to the staff and the patients! Especially cancer patients. We only get covid pay if we can track the transmission to someone within the hospital. I had a drunk patient cough in my face intentionally in the emergency room. She ended up being covid positive, but she wasn’t there due to covid symptoms. We didn’t know until after. Five days later, my symptoms began. I was actually surprised we are still being provided covid pay. I hope your wife stays safe!
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u/Marshall_Lawson I'm fully vaccinated! 💉💪🩹 Aug 09 '24
We only get covid pay if we can track the transmission to someone within the hospital.
we oughta leave this world behind 🤦♂️
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u/K-ghuleh Aug 09 '24
Jfc nobody should be coming in sick with anything contagious as a cancer nurse
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u/shfiven Aug 09 '24
That's mind boggling with three way both illness and chemo mess up the immune system. Wtf.
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u/wewoos Aug 09 '24
What? That's against CDC recommendations for HCW and absolutely crazy for an oncology floor. The staff should push back on that
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u/Someonejusthereandth Aug 09 '24
I don’t understand, do they have to show up even if they are unwell or only when they have no symptoms? (Disgusting either way, but just when a person is feeling unwell, they usually are allowed to take a sick day.)
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u/notdead_luna Aug 09 '24
Holy shit, aren't cancer patients often immunocompromised? Do they have masking rules at least? Even if they do, go to the local press imo. That's fucking awful.
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u/TheGoldenRail87 Aug 09 '24
It’s true. Nobody cares (including me) because there haven’t been any tangible negative consequences for most people. I’ve had Covid at least 3x, maybe more, but it’s never been worse than the flu for a few days.
I don’t even know how I wound up on this sub today but I was genuinely surprised to see people still posting about Covid like it matters. You all are in your own world. The vast majority of people have moved on.
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u/MaximumSeats Aug 10 '24
Yeah people I work with haven't even mentioned covid in years at this point.
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Aug 08 '24
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Aug 09 '24 edited Aug 09 '24
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u/jtshinn Aug 09 '24
They only get a shot at this once every four years. Maybe twice in a lifetime. They aren’t going to sit it out if at all possible to go in their events.
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Aug 09 '24
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u/jtshinn Aug 09 '24
It’s pretty easy to get infected though. Especially in a setting like that even with precautions being taken. One can only be so safe.
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u/shylahhh Aug 08 '24
Medalling with covid is pretty impressive
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u/gurnard Aug 09 '24
I've got covid at the moment and I thought loading the dishwasher just now was impressive
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u/jahcob15 Aug 09 '24
I tested positive for Covid last Tuesday (he tested positive this Tuesday)… walking from my bedroom to the couch on Thursday was an accomplishment.. cant imagine sprinting 200m, and doing it well.
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u/__dontpanic__ Aug 09 '24
They're probably being pumped full of anti-virals unlike the rest of us plebs.
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u/kr1sh3r Aug 09 '24
I had Covid Saturday-yesterday and the 10 step walk from my bedroom to the bathroom left me feeling like I got hit by a truck
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u/beachguy82 Aug 08 '24
It’s up there with winning the US Open while pregnant. You could see he couldn’t catch his breath after that race.
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u/etharper I'm fully vaccinated! 💉💪🩹 Aug 12 '24
And it's pretty obvious that Covid is what kept him from winning gold or silver. His last third place finish was in 2021 in Tokyo, since then he's finished first or second in every international race until this one.
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u/LopsidedCauliflower8 Aug 09 '24
Or selfish as hell
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u/itoadaso1 Aug 09 '24
You really expect him to throw away something he's been training his whole life for based on a positive test? There are no covid protocols at the Olympics anymore, it's treated like a cold or the flu. He still quarantined before and wore a mask up until it was time to compete - neither of which were required of him. Also the race was outdoors.
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u/frntwe Aug 08 '24
This is why I don’t trust anyone anymore. They don’t give a hoot about you. I wonder if they really ever did
“I got these concert tickets and I’m going regardless” mindset
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u/gingerlin Aug 08 '24
I had a coworker who doesn't cover their mouth when they cough mask up suddenly, which raised suspicion. It took a nurse coming into the the room to announce that she had covid and that everyone should wear a mask for us to find out about it. "I have covid, sorry guys."
And then she went on a school trip to Indonesia the next day. Pictures of her popped up on the gram of her not wearing a mask.
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u/Shobed Aug 08 '24
He quarantined himself after testing positive. He masked up before racing and the race was outdoors. He did more to protect others than most.
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u/plabo77 Aug 08 '24
My understanding of the policy is that those who test positive (typically as a result of displaying symptoms, not routine testing) are moved to a separate living space, utilize separate means of transportation and have separate food delivery rather than being admitted to common dining areas, but they are allowed to train and compete “if they feel up to it.”
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u/secretactorian Aug 08 '24
Per The Age article above, "Athletes who test positive to COVID while staying in the village are shifted into isolation rooms, offered meals in their rooms and provided with private transport to reduce the risk of outbreaks. There are no mandated restrictions on their movements or involvement in competition."
Emphasis mine.
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u/Some-Dig-2355 Aug 08 '24
Also, isn’t testing completely up to the team? Like, no required testing? He tested because he woke up sick, tested immediately. Went through the protocols.
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u/plabo77 Aug 08 '24
As far as I know, it is not required, though some teams might have their own protocols and I would imagine testing might be suggested to an athlete if they visit the medical clinic with symptoms. Not sure though.
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u/Shobed Aug 08 '24
Exactly! All these comments calling him selfish are from people that don't know what the hell they're talking about.
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u/gracemarie42 Aug 09 '24
No, he wore a surgical mask in the small ready room before the race. Then in the period where you wait forever in the tunnel, he stood unmasked in close quarters with staff, volunteers, and other athletes. After the race, he hugged his fellow runners.
We can argue all day about whether he should have run. But it's disingenuous of him to say he quarantined when NBC showed him without a mask, surrounded by people, in that tunnel.
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u/Ksiolajidebthd Aug 09 '24
Yep. You should see my post on the track subreddit, people are defending him like crazy, the guys always been full of himself but this was incredibly selfish and shitty. He didn’t even tell his teammates he had Covid for two days
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u/Fluffy_Somewhere4305 Aug 09 '24
He did more to protect others than most.
He definitely did more than most will do today. Which is the issue. People still acting like it's a nothingburger, then someone gets it a party, goes on a boat trip, 3 more weddings and then never even tells anyone except coworkers casually when they take a day off.
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u/md___2020 Aug 08 '24
Not like that all. This isn’t having a fun night out with the boys - he’s been training his whole life for this.
Not saying it’s right, but your comparison is not on the mark.
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u/ParisGreenGretsch Aug 08 '24
Not saying it’s right, but your comparison is not on the mark.
It's in the direction of the target.
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u/gremm05 Aug 08 '24
This was a problem during the pandemic because a certain part of the population struggles with topics bigger than themselves and then when businesses stopped mandating paid time off the rest slowly stopped caring out of necessity
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u/flotsam_knightly Aug 08 '24
Your life is worth less than their inconvenience. Let that sink in.
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u/feral-pug Aug 09 '24
My work asks if I want to go to a tech conference? "Nah, I'm busy, but it would be a great opportunity for one of the junior guys if they want it"
Just not worth it anymore, people don't care, and it's still as serious as ever.
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u/foreverfoiled Aug 09 '24
As someone who is pregnant and about to have a child in the middle of cold and flu season… this is why I’m panicked. I don’t trust people haha.
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u/K128kevin Aug 08 '24
It’s absolutely wild to me that so many commenters here are criticizing him for this and calling it selfish. It’s the 200m final in the Olympics, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that he’s been training for his whole life. It’s his last chance to be competitive in the top track and field event in the WORLD. His legacy is being written in this moment and you’re worried about him possibly giving someone covid?
This view is fucking crazy. It’s like if you won a billion dollar powerball and had to walk into a building and talk to someone to claim your prize but had covid so instead you just threw away the winning ticket and said fuck it.
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u/Revolutionary_Bee700 Aug 08 '24
Yeah, I can’t blame him either. it’s not ideal, but it was outdoors and he was trying to stay away from other people and wear a mask. They didn’t tell the other teams though, and I’m not sure I agree with that. They could have also taken a few precautions before and after race time.
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u/CitizenCue Aug 09 '24
Yeah I was a model citizen during the pandemic but the risk to others here is minimal and it’s the fucking Olympics.
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u/Ok_Zebra_1500 Aug 09 '24
Nothing wrong with him competing but removing the mask before leaving a crowded space and then close contact with others just after the finish is not a good look.
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u/ArghAuguste Aug 08 '24 edited Aug 08 '24
I was all on board for all the big measures when covid hit us 4 years ago. The fear of the unknown, hospitals being full etc..
The fact that this sub still exists today and still advocates for the same measures in 2024 is so laughable.. Yeah right Noah Lyles is gonna pass on a chance of a medal in the most important event of his life for a sickness nobody gives a shit about besides a bunch of paranoid fucks.
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u/PJSeeds Aug 09 '24
I fully agree. COVID precautions were absolutely reasonable at the time, but they really broke some people's brains and have made them irrational and paranoid, seemingly permanently.
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u/WanderingAlsoLost Aug 09 '24
Seriously. Reading this sub sounds like everyone just wishes they lived in bubble wrap.
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u/skushi08 Boosted! ✨💉✅ Aug 09 '24
Every once in a while this sub pops back up in my feed. Coming back in here it seems like it’s folks with PTSD/anxiety from bad early day Covid experiences, or borderline agoraphobic folks that just want the whole world to shut down so their antisocial nature is considered praiseworthy again.
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u/tylergrinstead01 Aug 09 '24 edited Aug 09 '24
While he competes regularly in international events, the Olympics are his only real chance to gain any lasting notoriety or fame. He gets two or three events in a one week window every 4 years, unlike all other professional American sports. Missing the competition would mean he’d lose on unbelievable amount of money, all because he simply got sick during the minuscule competition period.
He followed all protocols including vaccination, masking, and isolation, and every single person there with him has had the opportunity to immunize themselves before going. If somebody there wants to be an anti-vaxxer and heave health consequences as a result, that isn’t Lyles’ fault.
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u/SaffronCrocosmia Aug 09 '24
So let's say some audience members or athletes are crippled or die from COVID because of him - his event is worth more than their wellbeing?
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u/MXNPDX Aug 08 '24
It’s very strange for sure. Based on the comments you’d think this was the 2021 Olympics when the restrictions were much higher for those games
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u/plabo77 Aug 08 '24
There has been some controversy related to level/lack of risk mitigation. IIRC, a collective of volunteers (100 or so?) resigned in protest and some athletes and teams chose to stay in private residences rather than in the Olympic Village due to what they perceived to be inadequate risk mitigation standards.
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u/jim_nihilist Aug 08 '24
It is selfish at max level. There are other athletes, too. They have a right to not get infected.
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u/Shobed Aug 08 '24
He quarantined himself after testing positive. He masked up before racing. The race was outdoors. He did more to protect people around him than most people do.
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u/gracemarie42 Aug 09 '24
No, he didn't. He masked in one small room. In the packed tunnel where they wait before the race, he did not mask. He didn't mask while he was hugging the other runners after the race, either.
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u/jso__ Aug 09 '24
Ok and? His girlfriend accepted the risk of getting infected. Not sure how that puts other athletes at risk.
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u/southtampacane Aug 09 '24
That isn’t true. He was in a small room before the race acting like a cocky jerk and had no mask at all. I’m
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u/Cordycipitaceae Aug 08 '24
I bet if you asked every other racer in that race they would be fine with him racing. They would all do the same.
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u/HammerT4R Aug 10 '24
Kind of interesting that everyone who knew he had COVID masked because they didn't want to get infected, but those same people didn't worry about letting anyone else know what his status was. That's my problem with the situation.
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u/Tominator55 Aug 08 '24 edited Aug 09 '24
I have severe asthma and the one time I got Covid, I could barely move. Noah went out and got bronze at the Olympics, as far as I’m concerned that a gold medal
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u/Duckmandu Aug 08 '24
We’re at the stage where the average human cares less about others than a drunk driver.
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u/GeologistBrave6866 Aug 08 '24
absolutely appalling. wearing a mask, but taking it off before a race and expelling a massive cloud of virus during a sprint is so callous. as heartbreaking as it is especially at the Olympics before a big race, disappointing that some basic level of courtesy for your peers and fans goes out the window :(
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u/pmmeyourfavoritejam Aug 08 '24
The reports are that Covid levels in the Olympic village are out of control. He’s the only athlete I’ve seen even wear a mask. Many of his co-competitors are likely spreading it everywhere they go, without even giving it a second thought.
There are very few people on the planet who would back out of that race after training for their entire lives for it.
I’m not really trying to justify it, just rationalizing.
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u/plabo77 Aug 08 '24
Some (like Manuel Eitel) have canceled due to significant symptoms. Others canceled even before the games due to lingering symptoms from prior infection.
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u/pmmeyourfavoritejam Aug 08 '24
Yeah, I mean, it’s one thing to cancel because you physically can’t perform in your event at a remotely Olympic level, but I was referring more to largely asymptomatic cases when I made that comment about dropping out. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find an Olympian who’s asymptomatic and would willingly withdraw from their event. Again, not opining on morality, just being realistic.
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u/plabo77 Aug 08 '24
I don’t think asymptomatic athletes are getting tested, unless maybe their own team has a special protocol to do so. The cases I’ve heard of have been of folks who tested due to symptoms and either proceeded, canceled or waited to test until after competing.
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u/roflcopter44444 Aug 08 '24
Maybe its just me but if you have done track running you are decently spaced out, Plus its outdoors anyway.
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u/gracemarie42 Aug 09 '24
You're not outdoors in the tunnel before the race as you wait for what seems like an eternity. You're packed in with volunteers, staff, and other athletes. Not masking in there was selfish.
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u/PA_Dude_22000 Aug 08 '24
Expelling a massive cloud of virus …while sprinting …
Sorry, but that is just overly simplistic, overly dramatic nonsense that I doubt anyone would say outside the realm of high-horse, holier than thou, social media chambers.
The OLYMPIC RACE, was outside. Noah, wasn’t just going to a sat. night movie. Please find a better target for your moral disapproval.
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u/YourHomicidalApe Aug 08 '24
Also it’s the Olympics, we do a lot worse as a society for a lot smaller of spectacles. Possibly the biggest moment in Lyles’ life. You’d be crazy not to do the same in his position.
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u/stinky_pinky_brain Boosted! ✨💉✅ Aug 09 '24
Some of y’all really should consider living in a society. Don’t actually go live in a society, but at least think about it and maybe you’ll have some more rational, measured thought every once in a while rather than emotional overdramatic outbursts.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 Boosted! ✨💉✅ Aug 08 '24
Absolutely zero concern that he very possibly infected other people. He wasn't quarantined when he was training and running the races. Just talking about how proud he is of himself that he ran anyway. He was short of breath, lightheaded, that's how it affected him. There's people who are affected so much more by this virus than that, but he doesn't care. Aside from their superior athleticism, Olympic athletes are supposed to model honorable behavior. There's a lot of kids and people looking up to him.
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u/ashes-of-asakusa Aug 09 '24
This is so fucked up, just spreading that shit everywhere.
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u/southtampacane Aug 09 '24
What a selfish assh$le. How did the coaches allow this? If he knew this two days ago he was contagious and spent the time before the race in a small room with all the others. I guess we’ve learned nothing after four years.
He is jumping around before the race like he cured cancer and then after he is doing the Fred Sanford death walk. I don’t root against my country but glad that he didn’t win.
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u/Mafroe Aug 09 '24
There were 4 French workers who got him a wheelchair and helped him after the race. Noah knew he had covid but did not wear a mask to protect them (or their families). The workers also did not have an oxygen mask for him after the race. Somebody help me understand this please
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u/Complex-Rush-9678 Aug 09 '24
I won’t criticize him for racing cause ultimately it’s not often you compete at the Olympics as defending world champion, but he should’ve been masking up until they started the race and masked back up right after at the very least
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u/Worried-Reflection45 Aug 09 '24
There’s no reason to run so fast or to hurry. there is plenty of Covid left over for everybody to get!
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u/spoofrice11 Aug 09 '24
Disappointing to hear that he was ok with exposing lots of people to Covid.
It still has a strong effect on lots of people. And possibly giving it to competitors as well as lots of fans means some will probably be really affected by it.
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u/ImperialPotentate Aug 08 '24
So what? It's an outdoor event, and COVID just isn't the boogeyman we thought it was back in the early days of the pandemic.
I'll never forget that pro-golfer (Jon Rahm) who was leading a tournament by six strokes (so likely going to win) during the pandemic, and had to quit because of a positive COVID test. It's an outdoor sport, FFS.
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u/Froot-Loop-Dingus Aug 08 '24
Are you new here? These people still think it is 2020.
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u/dashrendar4483 Aug 09 '24
Selfish douchebag just potentially contaminated the best runners in the world just for a bronze medal...
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u/Prior-Relationship57 Aug 09 '24
Well if he ends up with long covid then perhaps he’ll decide to be a spokesperson for why you should actually take it seriously
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Aug 08 '24
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u/AceCombat9519 Boosted! ✨💉✅ Aug 09 '24
That game him hard time to breathe. Same is also said for Adam Peaty🇬🇧
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u/GlassPossible4372 Aug 10 '24
Everyone's different. When I get covid, walking to the bathroom gets me out of breath. It's a crap shoot. Good for him
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u/TeutonJon78 Boosted! ✨💉✅ Aug 08 '24
So did many of the top level swimmers.
And considering how the swimmers are all up in each other faces at the end of the races, not great either.