Olympic track and field star Kenny Bednarek confronted rival Noah Lyles in the 200m final with Covid.
Lyles had to be pulled off the track on Thursday at the Paris Olympics after finishing third behind fellow countryman Bednarek.
At a post-race press conference, the silver medallist said he was unsure ‘what was going on’ with his teammate.
“I don’t know, I don’t care,” he said when asked if he cared that Lyles had contracted the virus.
“If I get sick, it’s okay, if he gets sick, it’s a cold. I don’t see those things as a big problem. I’m healthy. I do everything I can to make sure my body is healthy,” he continued.
Kenny Bednarek addressed his rival Noah Lyles in the 200m final with Covid
“I give him a hug, regardless of whether he is sick or not. I don’t care about those things,” he said
“I don’t get sick easily… I give him a hug, regardless of whether he’s sick or not. Those things don’t interest me.”
Bednarek also noted that he “took care of it” [his] ‘own business’ in the Olympic Village and was not sure whether Covid was rampant.
“I’m carefree, I don’t see certain things because I mind my own business,” he told reporters.
Lyles said he had no regrets about participating, despite the inevitable risk of spreading the virus to other athletes, hugging and shaking hands with them after the race.
Wearing a mask, the American star told NBC: ‘I woke up early, Tuesday morning at 5am, and I felt absolutely horrible. I knew it was more than just muscle pain out of 100. My first thought was not to panic, I’ve been in worse situations, I’ve been in worse circumstances.’
Lyles ran the men’s 200m final in Paris with Covid, he revealed after the race
The American had to be driven away in shocking scenes in the moments after the race
He continued: ‘I’ve just taken it day by day, tried to hydrate as much as I can. It’s definitely going to take its toll, but I’ve never been so proud of myself coming here and getting a bronze medal.’
When asked if he was considering retiring, he gave a firm answer.
“No. No. We just said we would quarantine as much as possible and try not to pass on the virus,” he said.
There are no rules forcing athletes to withdraw from events. For the Paris Games, all Covid protocols have been removed.
Lyles later said that the other competitors were unaware of his diagnosis: “We tried to keep it a secret. The medical staff, my coach, my mother knew.
“We didn’t want everyone to panic. We wanted to be able to compete. We wanted to be able to keep it as discreet as possible and you don’t want to tell your competitors that you’re sick. Why would you give them a head start?”
Lyles (rear left) finished third despite being the heavy favorite
Lyles was seen wearing a mask just before his match in Paris started