Divers face mosquitoes and ambivalence at Rio diving event

Divers face mosquitoes and ambivalence at Rio diving event

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Abby Johnston is not only an Olympic diving silver medallist, she's also a second-year medical student who's been studying Zika from afar.

[...] she's up close to it in Rio de Janeiro for an Olympic qualifying event, and she's ambivalent about being at the epicenter of the mosquito-borne virus that is possibly linked to an increase in a rare birth defect in Brazil.

Cornel Marculescu, the executive director of FINA, said Rio organizers met this week with divers, and handed out mosquito repellent and advice.

Marculescu and various team officials said divers have been told to wear light colors, cover up when possible, and use the repellent.

In a letter to the mayor from FINA, obtained five months ago by AP, the swim body said conditions like those at the diving venue "will negatively affect the safety conditions and the level of performances of our athletes."