SALT LAKE CITY (voa) – Winter Olympic spectators have been frustrated by long delays entering the sports venues on Saturday’s opening day of competition because of thorough and time-consuming security checks. Only about one-third of the 13,000 fans attending the women’s freestyle skiing moguls qualification at Deer Valley arrived at the venue in time for the beginning of the event.
Fans said it took about 90 minutes to make it through the security checkpoints, and that in some cases, the qualification round was already over. Long lines were also evident at the Soldier Hollow venue when the women’s 15-kilometer freestyle cross-country skiing got under way. Salt Lake City Organizing Committee senior vice president Grant Thomas was not surprised by the delays on the first day. But he called safety and security “a high priority for everyone,” and said that the organization did not want to compromise.
Meanwhile, Russian cross country skier Larissa Lazutina has bitterly complained about the security procedures at the Olympic Games, saying they made her “feel like a criminal.” After winning the silver medal in the opening event of the 2002 Games, the women’s 15-kilometer freestyle race, Lazutina said the search of her personal belongings included having her water sniffed.
But gold medalist Stefania Belmondo of Italy was more understanding about the heavy security, saying that it was being done for the athletes’ own good. Bronze-medalist Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic agreed, calling it unpleasant but understandable after the terror attacks in New York and Washngton on September 11. Spectators, competitors and the media have to undergo multiple security checks before entering Olympic venues. A metal detector frame is installed at every stadium and everyone is handsearched before being allowed in. The $310 million security plan for the Olympics is one of the most comprehensive in the history of sports. It includes 59 different agencies and nearly 16,000 security workers.
Amid tight and unprecedented security for the 2002 Winter Olympics, authorities arrested five protesters at Rice-Eccles stadium shortly before the start of the opening ceremonies Friday.
The group confronted police stationed near the stadium entrance set aside for President George W. Bush. Another group was dispersed after the protesters tried to block the arrival of a media bus.
The security effort to protect fans and athletes at the games is costing about $310 million. Although no credible threat has surfaced against these games, top administration officials have warned that the Olympics could be a prime target for terrorists.
Security agents had put together a complex plan that includes 59 agencies and employs nearly 16,000 security workers on everything from snowshoes to fighter jets.
