USOC Exec Says Rio Will Be Safe for Olympics

(ATR) United States Olympic Committee chief executive officer Scott Blackmun says the USOC is confident in the security preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

"I feel like we’re going to have a lot of security," Blackmun told reporters following the USOC executive board meeting at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

"I feel like the safest place in the world is going to be in the village and at the competition venues. I think our athletes will be amongst the safest people in Rio because of all of the security that will be around them."

Security in Rio has been in the the spotlight with protests by police over budget woes. The state government declared earlier this month that it has no money to cover security obligations for the Olympics.

As far as traveling around Rio is concerned, USOC chief communications officer Patrick Sandusky tells Around the Rings there are no off-limits zones for U.S. athletes.Some NOCs have asked their delegations to stay away from favelas.

Blackmun added that his family would be joining him in Rio and that he is "candidly not concerned about [security]".

"That doesn’t mean you don’t take all necessary precautions that you can take while you’re down there but I feel very, very good about heading down to Rio," he said. "I can’t wait to go and every single member of my immediate family is coming with me."

When asked if he was certain that U.S. athletes, coaches and family members would be safe in Rio, Blackmun said that you can never be 100 percent certain as there are risks associated with every Olympics.

"We feel really good about Rio’s preparation and we’re very excited about it," he said. "There’s risk associated with any Games whether its terrorism, crime or transportation. Whatever it is you’re always going to have something and I think we’re excited about the opportunity to go down there."

Blackmun hopes the opening ceremony of the Games on Aug. 5 will erase the many concerns about Rio weighing on the minds of athletes, coaches and the media.

Chief of sport performance Alan Ashley said they are doing everything they can to thoroughly prepare the athletes for Rio.

"We’ve collaborated closely with experts in the areas of health and safety and making sure we’re doing everything we can to communicate with them, to set up systems and to integrate a network with Brazilian law enforcement, law enforcement in this country and our organization," Ashley said.

"We are educating and providing information – which is really important to the Olympic family – so the people go down there with the right expectations and are doing the right things to keep themselves healthy and safe. We’re going to continue to do that until the day we leave and every day we are there until we come home."

The Rio 2016 Olympics are taking place from Aug. 5-21 while the Paralympics begin Sep. 7 and conclude on Sep. 18.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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