A day after Jason Day, the world’s top-ranked golfer, pulled out of the Rio Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus, golfer Jordan Spieth said on Wednesday that he is still undecided about going to the Summer Games due security concerns.
“Right now, I’m uncertain,” Spieth reportedly said. “Always been excited about the possible opportunity, but there’s quite a few different factors that would turn somebody away from going. It’s not just one, there’s quite a few factors.”
He added that he personally has “not received enough information that would allow me to make a confident decision either way at this point” and specifically cited the security threats looming over the games.
“Just the security threats that Brazil and Rio have,” Spieth said. “I’ve heard some stories on both sides, and I’m going to get answers soon on how we plan to be secured down there. Transportation is a big security issue down there, how to get from one place to another with the different kind of violence that we don’t see here. And if I feel there’s any significant threat, then is it worth it? Probably not. I just don’t have a lot of information yet, and I will by next week, I think, have a significant amount more.”
According to local reports, at least 49 police officers have been killed in Rio this year as gang violence has ravaged the area. In addition, local police are so cash-strapped that they have even been begging for donations of toilet paper, leading to concerns about how safe the games will be not only from local violence but from the threat of terrorism.
Golfer Rory McIlroy also announced that he will not be attending the Olympics but Bubba Watson is reportedly “100% in.”
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