EUGENE, Ore. — Aries Merritt said his doctors are “very, very concerned” and “troubled” if he goes to Rio after a September kidney transplant, because he has been taking immuno-suppressing medication and is more susceptible to infection than the normal person.
“They’ve asked me many times, have you considered not going,” he said Wednesday. “I’m like, that’s not an option.”
Merritt also takes a risk every time he takes on a hurdle in competition. Should he crash and hit somebody, or some thing, it could damage the kidney.
“If I was playing football, I wouldn’t be able to play football anymore,” Merritt said.