Jessica Ennis-Hill snubs Britain’s Olympic training camp in Brazil due to fears over Zika virus
British heptathlete who wants more children will train alone in Europe then jet to Rio to defend the crown she won in London
JESSICA ENNIS-HILL’S fears about the Zika virus have forced her to snub Britain’s Olympic training camp in Brazil.
The British heptathlete will instead train alone in Europe in the build-up to the Games, before heading directly to Rio to defend her title.
Ennis-Hill’s decision also allows her to spend more time with her son, Reggie, who turns two next month.
And she has made no secret of her plans to have more children with husband Andy after the Olympics. The Zika virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, has been linked to birth defects in babies.
Ennis-Hill, 30, said: “Obviously I am concerned and I do think about it. Certain elements of it worry me, so we’ve decided we’re going to train in Europe.
“I want to have more children and I worry about Reggie all the time.
“If I went out to Brazil straightaway and trained, they wouldn’t be able to come and I would miss Reggie for quite a while.
“So they’re going to come with me and I’m going to get my training done. Then I’m going to head to Rio by myself, with my team, compete and then come back.”
Team GB have a holding camp at Belo Horizonte, which athletes will use before travelling to Rio when the Games kick off on August 5.
A spokesman for British Athletics said: “We are fully supportive of this decision and continue to provide Jess with the support she needs in the build-up to the Games.”
Ennis-Hill competes in her first heptathlon since her world title win in Beijing last August, in the small German town of Ratingen today.
She said: “If I can get through the weekend in one piece, then I know that when I am on the big stage I can raise my game.”
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