By Keeler McJunkin
Olympic gold-medal contender Justin Gatlin is fast on and off the track. Known as a person who won’t shy away from speaking his mind, Gatlin quickly quieted any concern he might have surrounding the Zika virus when the Rio De Janeiro Olympics begin on Aug. 5.
“I just came back from Rio,” Gatlin said. “I ran a race there and I’m not concerned, to be honest. If I had to do a mosquito count when I was there, I probably saw two mosquitos in four days.”
Concerns from athletes about Zika are tempered at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene this week, especially compared to athletes in some other Olympic sports.
Many star athletes outside of track have voiced their concerns over Zika, which is spread by mosquitos and is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, some of whom have given birth to babies with microcephaly, a brain disease that causes a child’s skull to cave in because there isn’t enough tissue to hold it up.
Some have even withdrawn from going to Rio, including the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy, ranked No. 4 in the world. Day said concerns for his wife and family were why he decided not to play. This is the first time in 112 years that golf is in the Olympics, and Day had pushed for its inclusion.
Track and field athletes, however, don’t have an NBA Finals, World Cup or Masters Tournament to look forward to. The Olympics are their Super Bowl. While some athletes have voiced at least a concern about Zika, it’s not enough to keep any of them away from an Olympic dream that comes around just once every four years.
“I think when you go to any kind of major sporting venue like the Olympic Games or the Super Bowl there’s always some kind of controversy,” said hurdles Aries Merritt. “There’s always controversy with the Olympics. In London, they thought they wouldn’t be ready, they didn’t have the staff, but it was the best Olympic Games. I think Zika is just something that’s come to light because it’s there in Brazil.”
The United States Olympic Committee and USA Track and Field have a plan in place to protect athletes heading to Rio, including information about mosquito-bite prevention, living in air-conditioned housing and providing long-sleeved shirts and pants.
“We are working very closely with the United States Olympic Committee,” said Max Siegel, CEO of USATF. “They have put together an infectious disease advisory committee and council and are working really closely with the CDC and other medical professionals to give us protocol for our athletes in Rio.”
Merritt does have reason to be concerned about Zika. The defending Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 110-meter hurdles is recovering from kidney transplant surgery in September 2015 and has an immune system deficiency. He said his doctors are worried.
“I’m susceptible to infection easier than a normal person because of the immunosuppressed medication,” Merritt said. “They’ve asked me many times, ‘Have you considered not going?’ I said that’s not an option — if I make it, I’m going. It troubles them a lot, though.”
While Merritt hasn’t considered not traveling to Rio if he qualifies for the Olympics, his doctors have given him tips and ideas to keep in mind while he’s there, including wearing long-sleeve shirts, using insect repellent at all times, staying away from water (as insects linger around water) and trying to not stay outside too long.
“It’s outdoor track, so I can’t just move inside,” Merritt said. “We have Zika here in America and I haven’t gotten it yet, so I don’t think it’s a really big deal.”
Gatlin also said the potential risks of getting Zika aren’t enough to keep him away from what could be his final chance to compete at the Olympics.
“I think as athletes, we have to prepare ourselves and not be scared,” Gatlin said. “We have to just be cautious about what we do. We only get this chance every four years, so don’t let it go away just from pandemonium.”
Michelle Carter, two-time Olympian and 2016 world indoor championship shot put gold medalist, thinks USATF and the USOC have done everything needed to inform and educate athletes heading to Rio.
“I don’t believe the USATF or USOC would put their best athletes out there at risk knowing they could be really put in danger,” Carter said. “I also believe as athletes we are informed with enough information. I’m sure USATF will hand out pamphlets with things to do and extra precautions to take. They won’t take this lightly.”
Zika is primarily spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. While symptoms are typically mild, they include fever, rash and joint pain. But recent research indicates between 1 and 13 percent of women who contract Zika during the first trimester of pregnancy will deliver an infant with microcephaly. About 4,800 Brazilian babies have been diagnosed with microcephaly to date.
For the track and field athletes in Eugene trying to secure their spot in the sports biggest event this week, Zika isn’t going stop them.
Sam Kendricks, who set the U.S. track and field trials record in the pole vault on Monday, said he’s consulted with doctors about all possible issues with Zika and came to a conclusion the cons don’t outweigh a chance to represent his country at the Olympics. After he detailed his research at a news conference, sprinter English Gardner, an Oregon alum who later won the women’s 100 meters, summed up the less research-intensive way many of the track and field athletes have responded to the Zika controversy: “It’s like dodgeball, just don’t get hit.”
Carter said it’s really up to the athletes to keep their priorities in order and focus on what’s important.
“As athletes we’re not really as concerned,” Carter said. “Our focus is to go down there and be the best team we can be. They’ll make sure we’re going to be OK, and the athletes will take the necessary steps to make sure they’re safe as well.”
