The Rio Olympics

[TightEnd]

reads very seriously

Rio 2016 should be moved or postponed over the Zika outbreak, say leading scientists

http://bbc.in/24bGkHB

[neeko]

Article from earlier this month saying the same thing

http://harvardpublichealthreview.org/off-the-podium-why-rios-2016-olympic-games-must-not-proceed/

It concludes "fetal brain disruption sequence is as terrible as it sounds, and extinguishes the hope of a normal life even before it has begun?  With stakes like that, bluntly put, these Olympics are no game at all."

[TheDazzler]

You know what this reminded me of?
The storyline of Jaws.

Experts in the field say there is an imminent threat and people need to stay out of the dangerzone.
The moneymen (the mayor) says, "this is 4th July weekend, are you crazy? It'll be fine. Everyone out onto the beach, it's totally safe."

We all know how that ended up

[TightEnd]

The WHO will conduct a probe into the risks of holding the Olympics in Rio because of Zika http://bbc.in/1sTzNWl

[maccol]

The WHO will conduct a probe into the risks of holding the Olympics in Rio because of Zika http://bbc.in/1sTzNWl

We wont get fooled again.

[TightEnd]

Who are the 80 track and field athletes competing for Team GB at Rio? Full list here: http://bbc.in/29OTbwT

[The Camel]

Why are golfers (and a few NBA basketball players maybe) the only participants who seem to be worried about Zika?

[BigAdz]

I think its more about time off. Ryder Cup soon after. Etc etc.

They go to places in Africa Middle East. India etc where they are equally exposed to dodgy stuff.

That said the course is on a swamp full of the little buggers.

[arbboy]

Why are golfers (and a few NBA basketball players maybe) the only participants who seem to be worried about Zika?

Because for most other sports the games is the pinnacle of sporting achievement.  In golf and NBA it is just a distraction to the bigger prizes so it is a convenient excuse for PR reasons to no show and rest for events that really matter in their world.  USA NBA players are on a hiding to nothing playing for the gold medal.  It is expected by half the track every time.  No upside and huge embarrassing downside potentially.

Golfers couldn't care less about winning a gold medal i would have thought.   Surprised how many of the big tennis players are going tbh.

[Graham C]

Probably one of the only chances for tennis players to feel part of a team, I imagine it's quite a lonely sport.

[arbboy]

Probably one of the only chances for tennis players to feel part of a team, I imagine it's quite a lonely sport.

Murray travels with a bigger team of yes men to massage his ego usually than most NBA teams! 

[TightEnd]

there is already talked from the IOC that golf, guaranteed to be in rio and tokyo, will be dropped for 2024

i paraphrase, but if the top players can't give a fuck its not an olympic sport and we'll replace ti with a sport that cares, was the sentiment expressed

[arbboy]

Anyone else think the Olympics generally has lost it's spark and isn't anywhere near such a big deal in the sporting world as 30 years ago?  I am not remotely excited about it happening this year at all tbh.

[TightEnd]

Anyone else think the Olympics generally has lost it's spark and isn't anywhere near such a big deal in the sporting world as 30 years ago?  I am not remotely excited about it happening this year at all tbh.

i look forward to it, but athletics, swimming, rowing etc more than the multi-millionaire professional sports

i do think doping etc takes the gloss off the whole thing in many sports. we as a viewing audience are less naive and it doesn't have the corinthian feel of watching when we were younger....

[Jon MW]

This is the latest on the actual threat
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/13/cdc-study-olympics-unlikely-spark-zika-virus-tranm/

Summary is that it's low risk that anyone will catch anything because it's the Brazilian winter and if they do it's not likely to cause an outbreak in their home country (apart from a few), and on a personal level even if you're unlucky to catch it there's only really a problem if you're starting a family (and even then it might not cause a problem to the child).

In terms of the original post - the Olympics only amounts to about 1% of the travel so even if the risks were higher then moving it wouldn't affect the global outlook for Zika.