The golfer Rory McIlroy said on Wednesday that he would skip the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro because of concerns about the Zika virus, becoming the highest-profile athlete yet to withdraw over the health scare.
“After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realize that my health, and my family’s health, comes before anything else,” McIlroy, 27, said in a statement. “Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.”
Anxiety over Zika, a mosquito-borne virus linked to severe birth defects, has cast a cloud over preparations for the Summer Olympics. With six weeks to go until the Games begin, McIlroy’s decision is expected to intensify the debate over the wisdom of staging the Games amid a public health emergency. Olympic officials have rejected the notion that athletes should not be asked to subject themselves to such health hazards, saying the risk is minimal.
While many athletes and coaches have said they are not terribly worried about contracting the virus, most nonetheless have planned to take precautions, such as to covering up and wearing bug spray.
@McIlroyRory just tell the truth mate, you didn't want to room with me
Last month, a group of more than 150 public health experts called for the Games to be relocated or delayed because of the virus, moves that the World Health Organization said would be unjustified.
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The risk in August — winter in Rio de Janeiro — is relatively low, W.H.O. officials said, and everyone except pregnant women should not hesitate to attend as long as they are careful.
McIlroy, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world and a hugely popular sports figure who was scheduled to play for Ireland, joins a growing list of athletes pulling out of the Games over Zika concerns, among themAmerican cyclist Tejay Van Garderen and Australian golfer Marc Leishman.
His decision represented a major disappointment for fans of the sport, which is returning to the Olympics this year after a 112-year absence.
The Olympic Council of Ireland issued a statement saying it was “extremely disappointed.”
McIlroy said he was confident that the Irish people would understand.
“The unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me,” he said.