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"My mind still stays strong, I don't want any
vaccine, I'd rather miss the Olympics than take the vaccine, I
am not taking it," he was quoted as saying in Jamaican newspaper
The Gleaner.
"I don't really want to get into it now, but I have my reasons."
Blake, a one-time rival of Jamaican great Usain Bolt, will
likely still be able to participate in what is expected to be
the 31-year-old's third and final Games even if he does not get
the vaccine.
The International Olympic Committee has said getting the vaccine
is "encouraged" but not compulsory for athletes.
"Follow your mind, don't follow the crowd," the two-time Olympic
gold medalist said in a video posted to Twitter on Saturday.
"At the same time, be respectful to each and every one. Don't
let no one take away your choice."
The Jamaican government is expected to receive its first
shipment of the vaccine next week, The Gleaner reported.
Blake's remarks came after a series of eight meets were held
across the Caribbean island nation on Saturday, marking a return
to large-scale sporting events that had been on hold due to the
pandemic.
The Olympics, which were pushed back by a year due to the global
health crisis, are set to begin on July 23 though speculation
remains the event might yet be canceled due to the ongoing
pandemic.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco; Editing by Lincoln
Feast.)
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