Thursday 2 June 2016 10:45, UK
Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy looks set to compete at this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after having his mind "put at ease" over the potential threat of the Zika virus.
World No 3 McIlroy is expected to represent Ireland in Brazil as golf returns to the Olympic schedule for the first time since 1904.
However, last month McIlroy revealed that he still had concerns over competing - citing the ongoing Zika epidemic as a potential deterrent.
The 27-year-old recently became engaged to fiance Erica Stoll and was considering withdrawing from the competition as the Zika virus has been linked to birth defects in new-born babies.
Former Masters and US PGA champion Vijay Singh and Australian golfer Marc Leishman have already signalled their intention to miss the games.
But McIlroy now looks set to compete after having his concerns eased by health professionals.
"I've sought out some advice and I had two dead shoulders for about four days last week because I got my shots and whatever I needed to get for going down there," McIlroy told a press conference on Wednesday.
"Obviously, there's no vaccination for Zika. I think what the health experts are really worried about, it's not the individual cases.
"It's the fact that 500,000 people go to Rio and they spend three weeks at the Games, they go back out of Rio and some might have contracted Zika and don't know about it, and then all of a sudden instead of it being this virus that's contained in a certain part of the world, it's now a global epidemic.
"And I think that's the real concern. So for me to go down there, even if I was to get Zika, it's six months and it's a virus and it works its way out of your system.
"And it's nice that we can come back, and [if you] feel like you've had some of the symptoms down there, you can get tested for it, and it's either a yes or a no you've had it.
"I'm ready to play. I feel like the advice I've sought out over the past 10 days has put my mind at ease and makes me more comfortable going down there knowing that, even if I do contract Zika, it's not the end of the world.
"It takes six months to pass through your system and you're fine."
