American cyclist Tejay van Garderen has removed himself from consideration to compete in the games due to concerns about passing it on to his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth in October.
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Van Garderen’s decision comes after a group of 150 health experts called for the Rio games to be moved or postponed because of Zika, which can be transmitted by mosquito, from men to women sexually, and through blood-to-blood contact.
Van Garderen, a member of the 2012 Olympic team, would have been a likely choice for one of the two USA spots on the road team.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, however, refuted claims the organization had pressured WHO to shirk its public health responsibilities.
Not one case of Zika was recorded during 44 test events involving 7,000 athletes and 8,000 volunteers, Andrada said, adding that Rio organizers would ramp up a public campaign to convince athletes and visitors that the games will be safe.
USA track cyclist Sarah Hammer, who will compete in two events at the Rio Games, told the AP that she is not concerned about Zika but that she is educating herself before traveling to Brazil.
At a news conference, Rio 2016 Organizing Committee President Carlos Nuzman told reporters “there is not a public health risk with Zika”, according to the Around the Rings website. Leishman, who would have qualified when Adam Scott withdrew, said his wife’s immune system is not at full strength from almost dying a year ago of toxic shock syndrome.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen has asked World Health Organization to examine whether the Rio Games could accelerate the mosquito-borne virus.
“I hope that I’ll be in the position to race at the 2020 Olympic Games”, van Garderen said.
The Zika virus is why Charl Schwartzel is skipping the Olympics, and world No. 1 Jason Day is starting to think twice about going to Rio.
Brazil is also dealing with its worst economic recession since the 1930s, leading to the slashing of Olympic budgets. I’m just saying we need independent advice.
However, former Masters and US PGA champion Vijay Singh and Australia’s Marc Leishman are golfers who have already announced their withdrawal from the Olympics because of worries relating to the virus, which is linked to brain defects in newborn babies. “But when she has a baby in her belly, I don’t want to take any chances”. And as the highest-ranked American in the UCI’s most recent world rankings of road cyclists, he had been seen as a strong contender for the US team, whose roster will be finalized this month.
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USA health officials have concluded that infections by the mosquito-borne Zika virus in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.
