HOME / NEWS / SPORTS

Michael Andrew's net worth: US swimmer who went maskless at Olympics is among world's richest

Michael Andrew, 22, who is unvaccinated, was speaking to reporters without his mask at the Games

A US swimmer, who recently faced criticism when he chose not to get vaccinated before the Tokyo Olympics, has again made headlines. This time for going maskless behind the scenes at the Games. Michael Andrew, 22, has been slammed for not covering his face while speaking with reporters in the mixed zone, a region where journalists interview athletes after competitions.

Andrew who came fifth in the 200-meter individual medley was questioned about not wearing his mask. He replied “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.” The 22-year-old continued, “I think it’s great that there’s procedures but at the end of the day, all of us here have been under quarantine and in the same testing protocol, so there’s a level of safety that’s comfortable when we’re racing.”

READ MORE

Tokyo Olympics: Full list of sports making their debut or comeback at the games

Who is Allyson Felix's husband? Olympic champ became more driven after becoming a mom

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) also claimed that Andrew did not break any rule by not donning a face covering as participants are allowed to remove masks during media interviews in the mixed zone. “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,” the USOPC said in a statement.

This came after Andrew attracted a lot of attention when he did not get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus before coming to Japan. At the time, he said, “My reason behind it is, for one, it was kind of a last moment, I didn’t want to put anything in my body that I didn’t know how I would potentially react to. As an athlete on the elite level, everything we do is very calculated and understood. For me, in the training cycle, especially leading up to trials, I didn’t want to risk any days out. There were periods where you take a vaccine, you have to deal with some days off.” He was diagnosed with Covid-19 at the end of 2020 and had announced his decision not to get vaccinated for the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.

Netizens have openly criticized the swimmer. A user wrote, “Michael Andrew narrowly missing a medal is one of my favorite results in the Olympics so far. Go get vaccinated, ya dummy.” Another one tweeted, “michael andrew didn’t even get bronze? oh. maybe whatever was in that vaccine would’ve helped.” The third one remarked, “I’ll sleep well tonight knowing Michael Andrew missed another Olympic podium after refusing to get vaccinated.”

A person pointed out, “I believe I saw him mask-less in the waiting area before a swim competition on Sunday or Monday as well (while everyone else wore a mask). He should immediately be sent home.” The second one added: “Walk away, take away his media coverage. If he makes a choice, you make a choice... dont engage him? Everyone want governments or Agencies to do everything?”

What is Michael Andrew's net worth?

Andrew is famous for his stats in 100m breaststroke. He was born in April 1999. Not just for his swimming, Andrew is also known for being an influencer and tutor. He owns a YouTube Channel, which is about his “desire to use this platform to share my journey with you, and hopefully make a positive impact in your life. I hope you enjoy travelling through the view of my lens.” According to Business Insider, Andrew’s net worth is more than $1.5 million. He is reportedly one of the world's richest swimmers.

To earn his wealth, Andrew started his career at a very young age. He is reportedly the youngest American to go pro in swimming at just 14 years of age. The athlete has set 75 age-group records and became the 59th-best swimmer when he signed his first contract. In 2018, he won gold in the 50m Freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships.