'One of the scariest moments of my life' - Noah Lyles' mum recalls helpless moment of watching her son gasp for air after 200m final

Noah Lyles' mother, Keisha Bishop, has recounted the frightening moment of watching her son struggle to breathe after the men's 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and how she was ignored by security officials despite her pleas.

Lyles claimed the bronze medal in the final behind his American teammate Kenny Bednarek and race winner Letsile Tebogo, who became the first male sprinter from Botswana and Africa to win an Olympic 200m Gold medal.

Shockingly, after the race, the World and Olympic 100m champion was seen gasping for air as he collapsed on the track and needed assistance from the medics to stabilize him and wheel him out of the track.

Shortly after the scary moment, the US Track and Field confirmed that Lyles wasn't 100% okay, and he tested positive for COVID two days before his race but insisted on running.

His mum, Bishop, who was at the stands watching, has now openly stated how she was scared for her and in the bid to seek help, the security personnel at the stadium allegedly refused to call the doctors to attend to her son.

“This was one of the scariest moments of my life! 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,” wrote Bishop on her Instagram page.

“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.”

A few days after the race, Lyles announced he was now COVID-free and doing better.