Two weeks prior to the first game of the women's Olympic football tournament, American keeper Hope Solo was prepping for the trip to Rio.
Amid excessive fears regarding the Zika virus, Solo tweeted out images of the protective measures she would be taking at the Olympic Games.
The tweets were met with negativity in Brazil.
Not sharing this!!! Get your own! #zikaproof #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/y3d8hnuEjk
— Hope Solo (@hopesolo) July 22, 2016
In an interview with Sports Illustrated - following the US' 2-0 win against New Zealand where she was jeered - Solo explained why she was taking such measures.
I did know they were booing, but it doesn’t affect me. I came here to do one thing, and that’s to help our team win, our country win. And I’m very focused in doing that. Is it a bummer? I wish people would understand that I did my due diligence before coming to Brazil.
It was a personal decision I had to make alongside my husband. And it’s not something I just spoke about without getting educated on. It was something very serious to me because I do want to start a family.
Those jeers stepped up a notch during Saturday's game between the US and France, which the Americans won 1-0.
Everytime Solo touched the ball, spectators at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte shouted 'Zika'.
USA goalkeeper joked about Brazil being dangerous due to Zika. Every time she hit the ball, Brazil fans scream ZIKA. pic.twitter.com/zdZnVYqV4R
— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats2) August 7, 2016
Had Rory McIlroy reneged on his decision to give the Games a miss, it would have been interesting to see if he would have been the subject of 'Zika' chants from the tee-box rather the usual 'mashed potato' or 'baba booey'.
