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Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the Olympic Games in Rio because of concerns about the Zika virus.
In a statement, McIlroy said that "my health and my family's health comes before everything else".
"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," said McIlroy, 27.
Vijay Singh and Australia's Marc Leishman have already pulled out of the games because of the Zika issue.
Earlier this month, four-time major winner McIlroy, who was set to represent Ireland in Rio, said that his concerns over the virus had eased.
The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to brain defects in newborn babies.
In a statement, McIlroy said that "my health and my family's health comes before everything else".
"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," said McIlroy, 27.
Vijay Singh and Australia's Marc Leishman have already pulled out of the games because of the Zika issue.
Earlier this month, four-time major winner McIlroy, who was set to represent Ireland in Rio, said that his concerns over the virus had eased.
The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to brain defects in newborn babies.
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T0sser.
Shazza Lowry won't be pulling out, not that the mosquitos would have any chance of penetrating the blubber. |
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What a convenient excuse MACKER , he never wanted to play for us in the first place , shameful from the man/boy .
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why should rory compromise his health for teh people of ireland who need someone to win a gold medal for them?..........would u compromise ur health for rory? no, so get over it.
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Compromise his health, my hole. Don't tell me you are falling for that BS?
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FFS Brain , he spends time in Africa , more likely to catch something there than Rio , the boys never wanted to play for Ireland end of...
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It's winter in August in Rio, not Mosquito weather.
Rio also happens to be massively far from the epicenter of the Zika outbreak in northeastern Brazil (where more than 90 percent of confirmed Zika cases originated). The place will be fumigated with insecticide to within an inch of it's life...think Wonks liberally applying Old Spice before going Racing. Cover yourself in Mosquio repellent, take whichever Vitamin it is that repels them etc etc Get in and out reasonably quickly if you are still concerned. When you get home, get tested before trying to start a family. Or, wimp out, because it doesn't sit your schedule, you need a rest, you are not in great form, you don't need it to boost your profile, there are no $$$ involved, you can't wear Nike clothing and that pisses your Sugar daddy off massively, the course doesn't suit you, you might have to room with Shazza Lowry and he snores, and anyway why not avoid the whole pain in the ass of a political football that representing ROI involves. |
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ozy........if someone offered u choice of a free holiday to any ten countries- brazil being one - we all know that it would be last on your list...........u wouldnt risk ur health........its a disgusting filthy disease.....if u get it and pass it on to your pregnant wife, you will bring someone into the world who will never walk or talk.............WHY WOULD U GO THERE? not enough is known about this disease, how it is transmitted etc but one thing is known for certain - THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF WOMEN IN SOUTH AMERICA WILL GIVE BIRTH TO CHILDREN WHO WILL BE MISSING PART OF THEIR BRAIN.
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olympics should be amateur only, fair play to him for honouring the olympic spirit
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Rio would easily be my first choice of a free holiday anywhere in the world. Without hesitation. In fact I am planning to go at Xmas.
And there will be a long list of things I might catch there and Zika wont be anywhere near the top. On a serious note, read the WHO reports and others on the risks of Zika in Rio. It's a convenient excuse for Rory not to go, that's all. And as RQ says, pro golfers shouldn't be anywhere near the Oympics anyway. |
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Golf , like tennis , is not suitable for the Olympics for a variety of reasons . Not least the fact that you need a world class course for such an event to be meaningful . Anyone who thinks that there will be no mosquitos anywhere on that golf course must have some crystal ball . I wouldn't go near the place given the circumstances , so Rory pulling out is no surprise . Keeping 300 acres mosquito free for 7 days plus would be a monumental task .
The Olympics overall is in a bit of a mess again for a variety of reasons . Just unfortunate the golf has not helped from events so far . |
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Golf as people mentioned previous should not be in the Olympics. But the boy from Hollywood was NEVER going to play for Ireland. Any excuse would have done.
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I knew Kelly would inevitably find some way of defending Rory's decision.
Very easy to keep mosquitoes at bay on an urban golf course in August in Rio as a matter of fact. If you really felt August n Rio was a risk, well you really should never leave home, for fear of being hit by a bus. Do some research on the topic. I'd say if JP McManus and Wee Rory went on a shooting spree in a kindergarden, Kelly would find some way of concluding that the kids had it coming. |
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You wouldn't blame him for not going.
Firstly he's not Irish, only the other day he was in a picture with his buddies heading out to see Northern Ireland, so that's enough about where he sees himself. On top of that , golf has no place in the olympics and the olympics is only a load of Shiite anyway . I wouldn't cross the road to watch that horseshiite, where everyone is higher than the spire in O Connell St. Finally he wouldn't want to have anything to do with the Irish team, a man of his standing would not wish to be associated with a group of travellers heading out scrapping for a few weeks |
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^
 harsh but fair |
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it had to be a last min thing with rory.he had been fitted last week for suits,gear etc.according to paul mcginley..its hard to blame him as the zika virus and its severity,according to the experts, is hard quantify. if he got infected and his wife to be and him had a child with zika they would never forgive themselves. they would have a life with that when rio is long forgotten by the rest of us.if he hadnt wanted play with ireland he would have said it at the time he declared surely? he said at the time he would have loved a norther ireland team to play with and who could blame him for that?.and theres no one questioning adam scott or vj singhs loyalty to their countrys is there? this thing about him supporting norther ireland is really nauseating..he was born and raised there.wtf else was he supposed to do? im sure rory best and andrew trimble were doing the same thing!!? he took a brave decision.lets respect that
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He's about as Irish as Ian Paisley junior, it's either one or the other up there, deep down you are either Irish or anti Irish. People might not want to say as much but that is the reality .
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Remember what James Dillon said about Ian Paisley.
He said he thunders on about being British but he is a quintessential excitable Irishman. I believe in a united Ireland,I believe we are one country and the people who live in the Northern part of this country are Irish. The Unionists up there are also Irish they just have different political views. Golf has no place in the Olympics,half them would fail the drug tests anyway. |
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half is exceptable in todays reality..id say the sprinters would be well over half!!
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The founder of the modern Olympics Pierre de Coubertin was hopeless at sport so in order for him to win a gold medal he with others put literature in the 1912 Summer Olympics, He won the gold medal for a poem he wrote,
 The US won the gold medal for Rugby U the last time it was allowed [only 3 countrys took part] The olympics has come a long way since those days ,on a personal note i think push-ha'penny should be allowed in as i was very good at it many moons ago. |
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Ozy in his 07.35 post just shows the shallow nature of the way he thinks . Putting people in sentences with dire actions involved seems to suit his state of mind . Hoped you had left Ozy , but like the bad penny....
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IF i was heading to Rio the Zika virus wouldn,t be my main concern THIS WOULD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfVCyGEBtYU
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Gmac also has ruled himself out of the Olympics . Anyone got a set of clubs and a valid passport ? ( and a thick skin impervious to mosquito bites ) .
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FOA Olympic golfing scouts,I'm playing City West tomorrow tee off 2pm .
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FAO even ,I'm getting too excited....
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i got a call from paul mcginley as to my availability.he heard i got a hole in one last week at pitch and putt..im in line he said..
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Get in line mate!
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Shane Lowry and Jason Day two of the latest to pull out .
Previous posts and attitudes evident in some of the posts re Rory's withdrawal make interesting reading in the wake of developments . |
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Lowry bottles it again
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lowry never wanted to play for ireland
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Guess the faithful didn't see Shane's decision on the horizon.
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i was of the opinion shane would not go.as a newly wed young man the risks are too high.end of story .good call shane. as padraig harrington said last night both shane and rory can go the next time or the time after when theres no risk.different for other athletes as they have a very short career span, a golfer who can play for 20/25 years..
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Well it appears we do owe Wee Rory something of an apology. I had no idea the rest of the pampered golfing world would pull out en mass, shame on them, I hope this is the end of Golf at the Olympics.
I know plenty of people who live in Rio.. people with young families and starting families. Wealthy people not tied to place with the freedom and ability to move and live anywhere in the world. And none of them are budging. The medical stats do not stack up. Vastly more chance of beg hit by a bus. With that sort of risk aversion, you might as well not leave the house. Vamos to Usain & Co....the true Olympians. |
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"i know plenty of people who live in rio" aye you do your hole ozy LMFAO
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Can people not see that whatever the risk factor may be -it is much higher for golfers than other athletes?
Golfers will practice and play for many hours at a time on fairways ,in the rough ,surrounded by trees ,bushes and water many areas of which will be prime habitats for mosquitoes. Athletes are in concrete urban environments. Swimmers perform for short periods in air conditioned well ventilated halls. Katie Taylor,laughably,had a dig at the golfers -she who will equally perform for about 15 mins at a time in a controlled indoor setting. Apart from the issue of marked difference in exposure to risk-no one is entitled to carp because someone makes a personal decision about a health and safety risk for themselves and their family-especially anyone who will be ensconced on their couch watching as the Pharmaceutics unfold. |
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shane lowry is as irish as anyone..hes passionate about his county and his country.he obviously took the decision with a heavy heart.lets respect his decision and move on..
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Absolutely , kavvie . Suspect there will be others , partly because the worlds top golfers will be under represented numbers wise .
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VUBIANT post makes a lot of sense, it will be interesting to see how many olympians will pull out in there respective sports, If he is correct then it follows that Equestrian sports may have a few Defectors, and so on ; if he wrong then golf should be taken out come the 2020 Oly.
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Its a good point, Vubiant but the course will be dripping with DEET or the modern day equivalent DEET-lite..I would actually say that that presents a greater respitory hazard than the virus risk. Ask your Sister in Sanur about this, Kelly.
Was lucky enough to live in Rio for best part of a year, Inside FYI. I can't quite recall the attraction... |