Rio negativity out of proportion: Dwyer

Negativity about Rio's Olympics is out of proportion and athletes who withdrew from the Games could regret their decision, Australian hockey stalwart Jamie Dwyer says.

While some athletes pulled out of the Rio Games citing security concerns and fears about the Zika virus, Dwyer had no hesitation in competing at what will be his fourth Olympics.

"I didn't have any concerns at all about coming here to this Olympic Games," Dwyer told reporters on Thursday.

"And now I am here, I feel very safe and it's what I expected. I thought that it would just be a few of those negative comments blown out of all proportion a little bit.

"I looked into it a little bit and I was fine to come.

"For those athletes that did pull out, I guess that was their choice, I can't comment for them, but it was their decision and maybe they will regret it, maybe not - I'm not too sure."

Dwyer, 37, will become Australia's oldest hockey Olympian in Rio.

"I can't do anything about my age," he said.

"When you come into the village you get a lot of excited guys. And I am one of them - even though I'm the oldest, I still get very excited."

Dwyer won hockey gold a dozen years ago at the Athens Olympics, and also bronze medals in 2008 in Beijing and four years ago in London.

And he believed the current Australian side was well-positioned to justify its no.1 world ranking in Rio.

"We all know and we all believe that if we play to how we know we can play, we are going to be a tough team to beat," Dwyer said.

"But in saying that Germany, Holland, Great Britain and Belgium, I believe, are all realistic chances of winning the gold medal.

"But if we play our best, which I'm hoping we do, the outcome will take care of itself."