Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt not concerned about Zika virus
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Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is confident that the outbreak of the mosquito-born Zika virus will be under control by the time the Olympics start in August, he said on the Today show.
Zika has been declared a health emergency by the Center for Disease Control and is prevalent in certain areas in Brazil. The virus resembles a flu, but can cause a birth defect where infants are born with abnormally small heads.
A number of athletes have said that the virus is an active concern as they prepare to head to Brazil, but Bolt said that its not the first thing on his mind.
“Hopefully, by the time I get there, they’ll have it under control,” he told NBC’s Peter Alexander. “I’m sure they’ll put things in place to sort it out. So I'm not really stressed right now.”
• WHO concerns on Zika grow, no plans to move or cancel Olympics
When asked about the fact that his teammates say mosquitos seem to avoid him, Bolt joked that he is too fast for the insects to catch him.
Bolt has been the face of track and field since he won the gold medal in the 100 and 200 meters at the 2008 Olympics. He completed the gold medal double again at the 2012 Olympics and holds world records in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19).
