USA swim star slammed for anti-vax stance

US aquatics prima Michael Andrew has been slammed for travelling to Japan for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games unvaccinated.

As the grim world of Japan's COVID concern reached its highest today, erstwhile US swimmers person called Andrew retired for putting the wellness of Team USA successful peril.

And it's his assertion that helium didn't privation the vaccine successful bid not to 'risk immoderate days out' of grooming that has caused the biggest stir.

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US swimmer Michael Andrew. (Getty)

"I'm not vaccinated," Andrew said. "My crushed down it is, for one, it was benignant of a past moment, I didn't privation to enactment thing successful my assemblage that I didn't cognize however I would perchance respond to.

"As an jock connected the elite level, everything you bash is precise calculated and understood. For me, successful the grooming cycle, particularly starring up to trials, I didn't privation to hazard immoderate days out. There were periods wherever you instrumentality a vaccine, you person to woody with immoderate days off."

USA Today columnist Christine Brennan blasted Andrew for his arguable stance.

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"He sounded arrogant arsenic helium spoke, arrogant of his selfish, foolish ways. Proud to beryllium a hindrance to his teammates, a interest to all. Proud to beryllium doing immoderate the heck helium wants, nary substance however it affects anyone else," Brennan wrote.

The 22-year-old volition aquatics 3 events (200m idiosyncratic medley, 100m breaststroke, 50m freestyle) successful Tokyo positive a fig of relays.

Ninety per cent of Team USA athletes are vaccinated. Andrew has antecedently contracted Covid-19.