Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most high-profile sports stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is \u201ca risk I am unwilling to take.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter speaking with those closest to me, I\u2019ve come to realize that my health and my family\u2019s health comes before anything else,\u201d the four-time major winner said in a statement released by his management company.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old McIlroy said this month that he and his fiancee, Erica Stoll, may consider starting a family \u201cin the next couple of years.\u201d Zika is a mosquito-borne virus which has been linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low,\u201d McIlroy said, \u201cit is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fourth-ranked McIlroy was scheduled to play for Ireland as golf makes its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.<\/p>\n
The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) said it was \u201cextremely disappointed\u201d not to have McIlroy on its team.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, as we have always said, it is down to the individual and of course we respect his decision, which he has taken for personal reasons,\u201d the OCI said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Next in line for the Irish would be Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, whose wife is expecting their second child about two weeks after the Olympics. If he chooses not to play, the spot would fall to Padraig Harrington.<\/p>\n
Marc Leishman of Australia and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa are golfers to have already pulled out of the Olympic tournament specifically because of Zika. Leishman cited concerns over the health of his family \u2014 his wife, Audrey, nearly died last year from toxic shock syndrome \u2014 while Schwartzel has said he and his wife intend to have more children and the risk of getting the virus is too great.<\/p>\n
American cyclist Tejay van Garderen is another sportsman to cite Zika as the reason behind not going to Rio. Basketball star Stephen Curry has dropped out of the games, not specifically citing Zika but noting that \u201cother factors\u201d played a role in the decision.<\/p>\n
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen and Vijay Singh are other golfers to have also said they won\u2019t compete at Rio, mostly due to scheduling commitments.<\/p>\n
This might not be the last of golfers to pull out. Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, earlier this month began to raise doubts that he would go to Rio because of Zika. They have two children, and he said his wife wants more.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s an Olympic issue. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a Rio issue,\u201d Day said at the Memorial. \u201cI just think it\u2019s a medical issue attached to what happens if I go there, get it and bring it back. They don\u2019t know. The recommendation from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is \u2018x.\u2019 You don\u2019t know how long it\u2019s going to last in your body. So I\u2019m a little wary about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve just got to make a smart, educated decision whether to go or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last month, 150 health experts issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency calling for the games to be delayed or relocated \u201cin the name of public health.\u201d The agency, the World Health Organization, responded that such steps would \u201cnot significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.\u201d<\/p>\n
The OCI said it has been taking its lead on the Zika situation from the International Olympic Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have provided us with every assurance and we have total confidence that the games will be safe for all athletes,\u201d the Dublin-based organization said.<\/p>\n
McIlroy had been eligible to compete for either Britain or Ireland at the Olympics. The four-time major champion eventually chose Ireland, which he had represented throughout his amateur career and twice in the World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cI trust the Irish people will understand my decision,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cThe unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will continue to endeavor to make my fans and fans of golf proud with my play on the course and my actions off it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The International Golf Federation said it was \u201cdisappointed\u201d with McIlroy\u2019s decision but \u201crecognizes that some players will have to weigh personally a unique set of circumstances as they contemplate their participation in golf\u2019s historic return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with the Zika virus foremost among them.\u201d<\/p>\n
It added that \u201cthe Olympics is the world\u2019s greatest celebration of sport and we remain excited about golf\u2019s return after a 112-year absence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The IGF, founded in 1958, is recognized by the IOC as the official world body for golf.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most high-profile sports<\/a> stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is \u201ca risk I am unwilling to take.\u201d \u201cAfter speaking with those closest to me, I\u2019ve come to realize that my health<\/a> and my family\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","wds_primary_category":6,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-32766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32766\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32766"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=32766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}