The USOC told U.S. sports federations that athletes and staff concerned over the Zika virus "should consider not going" to the Rio Games in August, according to Bases & Schneyer of REUTERS. Sources said that the message was "delivered in a conference call involving USOC officials and leaders of U.S. sport federations in late January." USA Fencing President and BOD Chair Donald Anthony said that the federations were told that "no one should go to Brazil 'if they don't feel comfortable going. Bottom line.'" Recalling the conference call, in which CDC recommendations were discussed, Anthony, said, "One of the things that they immediately said was, especially for women that may be pregnant or even thinking of getting pregnant, that whether you are scheduled to go to Rio or not, that you shouldn't go. And no one should go if they feel at all as though that that threat could impact them." USOC Senior Dir of Communications Mark Jones confirmed by email USOC Chief of Sport Performance Alan Ashley had "briefed federation leaders on the CDC's recommendations and we will continue to ensure that athletes and officials affiliated with Team USA receive any updates from the CDC." U.S. Equestrian Federation Dir of Sport Will Connell said that the USOC was "leaving the decision up to individual athletes and staff members." Sources said that during the call, the USOC "did not indicate they were concerned that large numbers of athletes would avoid Rio or that Zika could derail the Games." Instead, officials "expressed optimism that risk would be minimized by close cooperation among health agencies, mosquito control efforts and the Games’ timing during Brazil’s winter when mosquito-borne illnesses are less common" (REUTERS, 2/8).
