Usain Bolt Isn't Worried About Zika Mosquitoes at Olympics Because "They Can’t Catch Me”

Usain Bolt isn’t worried about catching the Zika virus from mosquitoes at the Rio Olympics.

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Complex Original

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The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro sound like they're going to be a blast, don't they? From the waters that are reportedly "rife with human sewage" even though they're scheduled to be used for a handful of competitive events to the recent doping scandal that has rocked the Olympic community, it feels like there's a good chance this summer might be a disaster. And as if those issues weren't enough, there's also an ongoing scare involving the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus that has many Olympians concerned.

One Olympian who's not worried about Zika? Usain Bolt. Deep down, the Jamaican sprinter is probably at least a little bit concerned about how Zika could affect him, his teammates, his fellow Olympians, and the fans who are going to gather in Brazil to watch the Olympic Games. But during an interview with Today that aired on Wednesday, he said that he's trying not to let the Zika scare affect his preparations for the Olympics.

"Hopefully, by the time I get there, they'll have it under control," he said. "I'm sure they'll put things in place to sort it out. So I'm not really stressed right now."

And if they aren't able to get the problem "under control" as Bolt said, he still thinks he's going to be just fine when it comes to steering clear of mosquitoes carrying Zika.

"I'm fast," he joked. "They can't catch me."

Technically, he's not wrong. Bolt has been clocked running almost 28 MPH in the past, and according to mosquito.org, most mosquitos only fly about 1 to 1.5 MPH. So maybe he's got the right idea? Though, we should caution that running away from every mosquito you see probably isn't the best way to reduce your chances of catching Zika.

Check out Bolt's interview with Today here:

 

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