An unvaccinated swimmer for Team USA made waves out of the Tokyo Olympics’ pool Friday for not wearing a mask during interviews with reporters following a disappointing finish.
The decision by Michael Andrew — a 22-year-old first-time Olympian from California — drew an initial rebuke from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which said it violated COVID-19 mitigation measures at the 2020 Games.
But USOPC officials reversed course just hours later after determining he wasn’t bucking the public safety protocols after all.
“Michael has been reminded of the Games policy and established COVID mitigation protocols, and has acknowledged the importance of following all guidelines intended to keep athletes and the community safe,” USOPC officials said.
A columnist for the newspaper tweeted photos of a maskless Andrew – who has been dubbed the “highest profile unvaccinated” American Olympian – in the mixed zone, where journalists can speak with athletes after events. He had just finished fifth in the men’s 200-meter individual medley.
“Every other swimmer I’ve seen all week has worn one,” USA Today columnist Christine Brennan tweeted.
USOPC officials later sent USA Today its statement before shifting its stance hours later.
“We are currently reviewing this matter with the National Governing Body and will take action as needed,” USOPC officials told the newspaper.
“For me, it’s pretty hard to breathe in after kind of sacrificing my body in the water, so I feel like my health is a little more tied to being able to breathe than protecting what’s coming out of my mouth,” Andrew told USA Today when asked about his choice.
Andrew went on to say that while it’s “great that there’s procedures,” all of the Olympians in Tokyo have been subjected to same quarantine procedures and virus screenings.
“So there’s a level of safety [that’s] comfortable when we’re racing,” Andrew said.
Asked why he chose to be the lone American not wearing a mask, the 6-foot-6 swimmer said: “No reason. I’ll throw it on when I’m done here, but to speak, it’s difficult, probably people can hear me.”
In a separate column, Brennan blasted Andrew as an “ugly American” who put his personal choice above public health.
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“Translation: I couldn’t care less about you, or the pandemic, or the fact that I’m not vaccinated,” Brennan wrote. “This is all about me.”
Brennan said the unvaccinated Andrew had been a “bust” at the Olympics thus far, failing to medal in his first two events. He previously contracted a mild case of COVID-19 in December, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“I didn’t want to put anything into my body that I didn’t know how I would potentially react to,” Andrew told the newspaper earlier this month. “I didn’t want to risk any days out.”
Andrew, who has said he no plans to get vaccinated, had hoped to break fellow American Ryan Lochte’s record in Friday’s 200-meter IM, but failed to reach that goal after leading the race after 150 meters. He finished fourth earlier this week in the 100-meter backstroke and is set to swim again Friday night in the 50-meter freestyle preliminaries.
With Post wires
