Both Tara Davis-Woodhall and Grant Holloway took home their first gold medals on Thursday at the Paris Olympics, which brought the American's gold medal count to 30. 

The U.S. stars were expected to win gold in both events and achieved those feats. But the men's 200m final took a turn for the unexpected. Botswana's Letsile Tebogo defeated Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles en route to his Olympic gold in 19.46 seconds.

Then, Lyles shocked the track and field world when he announced on NBC's broadcast just a few minutes later that he ran the 200m final with COVID-19. 

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Lyles, the Olympian 100m champion, finished with a bronze medal in 19.70 seconds and Kenny Bednarek was second in 19.62.  Both equaled their performances from the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, finishing in identical places three years later. 

Then there was Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The U.S. captain walked the track of the Stade de France with a crown on her head after winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 400mH. 

McLaughlin-Levrone re-set her own world record in 50.37 seconds, while American Anna Cockrell followed behind her in a new personal best of 51.87.

Check out the top quotes and moments from Thursday's mixed zone. 

Kenny Bednarek On Letsile Tebogo's Winning Time:

He's young talent. He's already showed us that he's had something like that in him and he brought it out today. No surprise. Anybody that's in the finals can throw a hot time at any moment and you just got to make sure to be ready.

Noah Lyles On The 4x100m Relay Team:

I've been with them in practice. They are more than capable to come out with a win and even break as many records as they take their mind to.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone On How Her Olympic Race Compared To The U.S. Olympic Trials:

This one felt similar to trials, just in terms of effort wise. I think the one from a few years ago hurt a lot more. I think breaking that threshold is always the worst part and now it's kind of just fine tuning. They all hurt if I'm going to be honest, it's just a different level of hurt when you kind of start to understand this.

Anna Cockrell On Pushing Through The Last Hurdles:

It wasn't as much as a feeling as much as almost instinctual. Just going to the things that we were working on in training, tapping into those workouts when I thought I couldn't do another rep, when I thought I was dying, when I thought I could not get up off the ground. Just tapping into those moments of grit and of desire.

Tara Davis-Woodhall On What It Feels Like To Win Gold:

I cannot believe it, I'm so stoked. I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, ever since I was four years old. I've gone through hell and back, I have faced everything that you could imagine. I told myself 8/08, that's the day I win the Olympics. When I found out I was jumping at 8 p.m., I knew it was perfect. That was a sign from God.

Grant Holloway On Controlling The 110m Hurdles:

I'm a fireman. Everybody in that heat has run something hot but it's my job to control it. It's my job to put out everybody else's flame and I was able to do that today.

Daniel Roberts On The U.S.'s Rising Dominance In The 110m Hurdles:

Me and Grant talked about that when we were in college during my junior year, just speaking on how the U.S. was struggling for a while in those major championships. It's been I think since 2012 since we won. We talked about that in college and now to have us going one and two, it's a good thing.

Nikki Hiltz On Being The First Non-Binary Athlete To Make An Olympic final:

I feel I have a superpower being queer out there, I really do. I feel like no matter what, before the gun goes off, I know that I'm loved and supported and that just allows me to run free.

Elle St. Pierre On Her Growth From The Last Olympics to Paris:

I just feel a lot more grounded and confident going into this final. I feel like a completely different person and athlete. All the races before this have just got me to where I am and I've learned a lot through the experience. It gives me a greater appreciation for being in this moment.

Jessica Hull On Agathe Guillemot And Running In A Full Olympic Stadium After Tokyo:

It's an honor to race with the French woman because the crowd just loves them. She's giving us the full taste of the Olympic experience by running so well.

Emily Mackay On The Journey Of Making It To Paris:

I poured so much mentally and physically even getting to this point. It definitely took a toll on me, as much as I didn't want it to and as much as I tried to reframe the trials as being something that was going to prepare me for this experience.

Anna Hall On Competing After Her Knee Injury:

It's a little bit tough competing here not having my full year of preparation but I'm just trying to put up the absolute best fight that I can and give myself a chance tomorrow. I think I did that.

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