Pau Gasol may freeze sperm before Olympics over Zika concerns

Pau Gasol will consider freezing a sperm sample before he goes to Rio if he decides to play for the Spanish national team in the Olympics this summer.

Gasol, who previously said he may skip the Olympics due to the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, told The Associated Press this week that “freezing sperm is one of the measures I have to consider.”

British long jumper Greg Rutherford has already made the decision to freeze his sperm before he travels to Brazil. The Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, can cause serious birth defects, making it particularly dangerous for pregnant women as well as men and women who intend to have children.

PGA golfer Rory McIlroy considered skipping the Olympics but recently revealed he will travel to Rio after learning more about the disease. Francisco Rodriguez, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, contracted Zika while traveling to his home country of Venezuela over the offseason. He recently opened up about the symptoms associated with the disease and how difficult his recovery was.