Zika not among top 10 concerns for Rio 2016 Olympics committee CEO
Security is the highest priority heading into the Games
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1 min read
Potential Olympians continue to drop out of the Rio Games due to Zika, but the virus is not of paramount concern to Sidney Levy, the CEO of the Rio Organizing Committee.
According to an Associated Press report, Levy said Tuesday at a Council of the Americas event that the virus is not among his top 10 concerns for the Games.
Instead Levy's top priority is security, and he said the plan is to have 85,000 security personnel on the streets to protect athletes and tourists.
Levy said that Brazilians are not worried about Zika, though he acknowledged that the rest of the world is. Several high-profile athletes, most recently golfers Jason Day and Rory McIlroy, have pulled out of the Olympics citing Zika fears.
— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) June 28, 2016
Levy's comments come after Rio de Janeiro's acting governor, Francisco Dornelles, was quoted as saying that the Olympics could "be a big failure" and that police and transportation could suffer major setbacks if certain financial requirements aren't met.
The Olympics are scheduled to begin on Aug. 5 and conclude on Aug. 21.
