Fearing the Zika virus epidemic in Brazil, Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford has made a decision to freeze his sperm.
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“We’ve also made the decision to have Greg’s sperm frozen”, wrote Rutherford’s wife, Susie Verrill in an article for London’s Evening Standard newspaper. which outlined why she won’t be traveling to Brazil in August. Verrill continued by saying the couple would love to have more children, and she cannot put herself into a position which could have been prevented.
Zika in pregnant women has been linked to birth defects including microcephaly, in which the infant is born with an abnormally small head.
Rutherford’s girlfriend, Susie Verrill, said the couple were increasingly anxious about mosquito-born Zika, which can cause birth defects in babies.
She also revealed that her gold medallist partner will be heading to the 2016 Rio Olympics alone, while she and her son Milo remain in the UK.
According to Rio’s health secretariat, the number of Zika cases has already declined significantly.
The WHO said Tuesday that the best way to address the “emotional concerns” about the Zika virus and its possible impact on this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio was to offer clear guidance based on “deep science”.
Several athletes have expressed concerns about Zika and some, including golfers Marc Leishman and Vijay Singh, have opted to skip the Games altogether.
She added that she didn’t want to put her son at unnecessary risk.
Last month, 150 health experts signed an open letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urging the Games to be moved or delayed because of the outbreak.
“And at least from the comfort of our own living room I can see his actual face”.
“Rio de Janeiro should be a very safe place”, said João Grangeiro, the medical officer.
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But the World Health Organization has classified the risk of Zika infection in August, which is the middle of winter in Brazil, as “minimal”.
