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Bryan brothers withdraw from Rio Olympics, citing Zika concerns

By PTI

Rio de Janeiro, July 31: Bob and Mike Bryan will not defend their Olympic doubles title in Rio de Janeiro, citing health concerns.

Rio Olympics Special Site

The American twins announced their withdrawal on Facebook yesterday, saying that as "husbands and fathers, our family's health is now our top priority."

United States’s Bob Bryan, right, leaps to chest bump his brother and playing partner United Sates’s Mike Bryan


They didn't mention the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects and been cited by several athletes in tennis and other sports who opted to skip the Summer Games that begin next week in Brazil.

The Bryans won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, after collecting bronze in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Games. They have won 16 Grand Slam titles, a record in men's doubles.

The US Tennis Association said it was looking into its options for replacing the Bryans in Rio. The top-ranked US man in singles, John Isner, and Sam Querrey also are skipping the Rio Olympics.

Isner said he is not going because ATP ranking points are not available. Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic, Wimbledon semifinalist Tomas Berdych and Simona Halep are among the other tennis players who have pulled out of these Olympics. They each cited concerns about Zika.

AP

Story first published: Thursday, August 24, 2017, 17:38 [IST]
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