Bob and Mike Bryan withdraw from Rio Olympics over health concerns
By Dev Trehan
Last Updated: 30/07/16 9:15pm
Olympic tennis men's doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan have pulled out of the Rio Games amid ongoing health concerns.
The Bryan brothers are the most successful men's doubles duo of all time, winning an incredible 16 Grand Slam titles as a pairing.
They won gold at London 2012 and were expected to defend their Olympic title in Rio but announced via their Facebook page they will not travel to Brazil, citing the health of their families as their number one priority.
"After countless hours of deliberation, Mike and I have decided to forego the Rio Olympics," their social media post read.
"Though we'd love to compete again, as husbands and fathers, our family's health is now our top priority.
"Representing Team USA is one of our proudest tennis moments to date and winning Gold in 2012 will always remain the pinnacle of our career. The Olympics means so much to us for so many reasons and the memories we have wearing the Stars and Stripes will burn brightly forever.
"Thank you to the USTA for the nomination and to our fans for their unwavering support. We wish every athlete luck in their quest for Olympic glory and hope the Rio games are a positive experience for everyone involved."
Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey are also skipping the Olympics, citing scheduling issues, while Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych and 2014 French Open finalist Simona Halep are among those withdrawing from Rio because of the Zika virus.
