What Are COVID Protocols at the Olympics in Paris?

Noah Lyles ran the 200-meter final on Thursday after testing positive for COVID. He did not break any rules, and several athletes have competed despite a positive test.

Noah Lyles after running the 200-meter at the Paris Games. He won bronze / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

After Noah Lyles secured the bronze medal in the 200-meter race on Thursday for the U.S., news came out that he tested positive for COVID two days ago, meaning he had run in a semifinal on Wednesday and the final on Thursday since the positive test at the Paris Games. It was first reported by Lewis Johnson of NBC.

Lyles was seen wearing a mask before participating in the final. After the final when he secured bronze, he received medical attention and left the track in a wheelchair. Lyles has been outspoken about his asthma previously.

What are the COVID Protocols at Paris Games?

Short answer: There are no formal or event-level requirements. How to handle the threat of the disease is decided by teams and individuals.

Unlike the past two Olympic Games (Toyko 2020, Beijing 2022) that had extensive athlete testing and protocols for positive tests, the regulations and requirements around testing are much more relaxed.

Athletes do not have to be subjected to mandatory regular testing and reporting. Furthermore, positive tests do not stipulate sitting out from events. Participation for positive athletes is at the discretion of the athlete, teams and medical staff.

Here is some insight from Scientific American:

"The Paris Games also drop all previous COVID protocols, instead approaching the disease like other respiratory illnesses such as the common cold or the flu: officials now allow athletes and teams to determine for themselves how to prevent or respond to infection."

According to SciAm, at least a handful of swimmers have already competed in events while having tested positive for COVID.