Spieth withdraws from Olympics for ‘health reasons’
TROON, Scotland — Jordan Spieth withdrew from the Olympics on Monday, leaving golf without its top four players when the sport returns to the games for the first time since 1904.
The decision was announced by International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson.
Spieth, the world No. 3, is the latest golfer to say he was not going to Rio, telling the IGF it was for “health reasons.” He had until midnight Monday in Scotland to decide. He was practicing at Royal Troon during the IGF news conference and was not expected to speak until Tuesday.
Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy previously withdrew, all citing the Zika virus. Day and Johnson have said they plan on having more children, while McIlroy is engaged and said he would soon be starting a family.
Golf still has eight of the top 15 players in the world competing in Rio, though losing the top four could be a big setback in its bid to stay in the Olympic program. It is assured of being part of the Tokyo Games in 2020, but the International Olympic Committee votes next year to decide whether it stays beyond that.
The Americans still have four players in Rio, the most of any country. Spieth was replaced by Matt Kuchar.
Injured Bolt put on Jamaica’s team
Usain Bolt’s quest for more Olympic gold is back on, as expected.
The Jamaican Olympic Committee released its delegation for next month’s Rio Games, and Bolt is among the selections even though an injury kept him from formally qualifying at his country’s national championships.
Bolt is listed as a qualifier in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay. He has six Olympic gold medals, sweeping those events at the Beijing Games in 2008 and the London Games in 2012. Bolt withdrew from Jamaica’s national meet on July 1 with a slight tear in his left hamstring, doing so just before the 100-meter final. The 100 and 200 world-record holder is scheduled to compete in London on July 22 to confirm his fitness level for the Rio Games. In other Olympic news: • A ruling on Maria Sharapova’s appeal of her two-year doping ban has been postponed until September, ruling her definitively out of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said that Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation agreed to defer the decision, which had been due to be issued by Monday. A verdict is expected by Sept. 19, the court said.