Keisha Caine Bishop, the mother of Noah Lyles, is livid over what she claims was a refusal by Olympics security to help her son after he collapsed following the men’s 200-meter final.
Lyles, who raced despite having tested positive for COVID-19, fell to the ground upon crossing the line in third place in a scary scene at the Stade de France.
Lyles’ coach, Lance Brauman, told the AP that the runner’s temperature was 102 degrees when he attempted to complete the double. He was later wheeled away by medics.
“This was one of the scariest moments of my life!” Caine Bishop wrote on Instagram. “Watching my son hold his chest gasping for air while the stadium security refused to call a Dr. as I begged them to send him help. They also refused to do anything to help. They totally ignored me! No parent should ever have to experience this feeling of helplessness!
“However, I want to thank the @nbcolympics team for helping me during this moment. Thank you for seeing me & my son as human beings and not just another story. Words cannot express my gratitude for your empathy, professionalism, and kindness.
“Also thank you @usatf staff who let me cry on their shoulders. To the security team, I pray if your loved one ever needs help, they get treated better than you treated us. I also thank God he is getting better.”
Lyles, the gold medal winner in the 100-meter dash, pulled out of the 4×100-meter relay due to his diagnosis.
He announced Saturday that he recovered from COVID and has tested negative.The American is likely to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, which would be his third Olympics.
