By Mike Hager | USA Today – Aug 20, 2018 10:09:55AM The gymnastics world has been abuzz with a rumor that gymnasts could be used as body guards during a World Cup tournament.
It was first reported by NBC News in January, but was later confirmed by NBC Sports’ Dan Patrick, who said the rumor is “probably true.”
Patrick said that he’s heard the rumor before, and that gymnastics is an area of the sport that is “very much under wraps.”
“When we heard the news that gymnast could be in the pool for the Olympics, I thought it was crazy,” Patrick said.
“I said, ‘Oh my god, is this true?
Is this true?'”
Patrick said that the rumor of gymnastics body guards is a “false rumor” that was spread by a “media-savvy group” and that the rumors have been circulating on social media since the Olympics began.
“The media is trying to stir the pot, they’re trying to get everybody to believe this, and it’s not,” Patrick told reporters.
“It’s a false rumor that is definitely false.”
It’s not the first time the rumor has been brought up.
Patrick said it’s “very similar” to the one made about the Boston Marathon bombings, which have led to speculation that body guards might have been used during the events.
“It’s like if you go into a movie theater and they show a lot of pictures of explosions, you’re going to see people jumping in the middle of the movie theater,” Patrick added.
“The same thing happens in the Olympics.
It’s the same thing that happens.”
Patrick said he has not been contacted by the U.S. Olympic Committee about the rumor, but added that he has heard that the U,S.
will be taking part in the 2019 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
“We’ve been very vocal on this, we’re going into the Olympics in a year that will be the first ever women’s Olympic Games in the U of A and we’re not going to be there to guard the competitors,” Patrick wrote in an email to NBC Sports.