After the highly-anticipated Men’s 200m Olympic final, BBC viewers took to social media to criticise the presenters after they analysed why Noah Lyles didn’t win gold.
BBC fans have slammed the Olympics pundits after they analysed why American sprinter Noah Lyles didn’t win gold in the Men’s 200m Olympic final.
The highly-anticipated race, which was tipped to be won by Noah, was actually won by Botswana runner Tebogo who stunned watchers with 19.46 seconds and set a new African record.
After the race, four-time Olympic gold medallist athlete Michael Johnson was convinced that Lyles was not fit for the race.
He said on the BBC: “He certainly isn’t carrying an injury because you can’t do this with an injury, you can’t run 19.70.
“If there’s anything, there’s some sort of illness that has zapped his energy from the ability to actually carry that speed all the way through.”
Many fans took to social media to have their say on the race, with many saying “stop making excuses” for Noah Lyles.
One person said on X: “How utterly disingenuous #BBCOlympics has been to the winner of 200m men’s final. All excuses for the American. Damned by faint praise to the winner. #Paris2024.”
A second fan also chimed in: “Tebogo won the race folks, stop making excuses for Lyles.”
A third fan also typed: “Tebogo beat Lyles easily, end of story, typical of the BBC to bang on about the American #BBCOlympics.”
However, shortly after the race concluded it was revealed from US Track and Field that Noah had tested positive for Covid-19. Some fans then questioned why Noah was allowed to compete.
One person wrote online: “If he has Covid, why was he allowed to run, he could give it to other athletes? Very sceptical about this, he still run very fast. i doubt I could run 200m in 10 mins if I had Covid #BBCOlympics.”
Four days earlier, Noah won the Men’s 100m final by five-thousandths of a second in a dramatic finale.
In a remarkable photo finish, all eight sprinters finished within 0.12secs of the gold medal, making it the fastest race in history as they all had run under 10 seconds.
After the controversial Men’s 200m Olympic final, there has been much debate online about the performance of Noah Lyles and the subsequent analysis by BBC presenters.
Fans were quick to criticize the pundits for seemingly making excuses for why the American sprinter did not come out on top.
The race, which was expected to be dominated by Lyles, saw a surprising victory by Botswana’s Tebogo, who clocked in at 19.46 seconds and set a new African record.
Following the race, Olympic legend Michael Johnson expressed his doubts about Lyles’ fitness for the event, suggesting that it may not have been an injury but possibly an illness that affected his performance. However, many viewers were not convinced by this explanation and felt that Lyles should not be given excuses for his loss.
The backlash on social media was swift, with fans expressing their frustration at the focus on Lyles rather than celebrating Tebogo’s victory.
Criticisms of the BBC coverage included accusations of bias towards the American sprinter and a lack of acknowledgment for the impressive performance of the race winner.
In a surprising turn of events, it was later revealed that Noah Lyles had tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after the race. This raised questions about why he was allowed to compete and potentially put other athletes at risk.
Some online commenters expressed skepticism about Lyles’ Covid diagnosis and his ability to run such fast times while being infected with the virus.
Prior to the Men’s 200m final, Noah Lyles had claimed victory in the Men’s 100m final by the narrowest of margins, solidifying his status as a top sprinter in the world.
The photo finish in the 100m final made headlines for all eight sprinters finishing within 0.12 seconds of each other, making it the fastest race in history.
As the Olympics continue, it is important to focus on the achievements of all athletes and the spirit of competition, rather than getting caught up in controversies and excuses. Stay tuned for more updates and insightful information as we cover the latest from the world of sports.