Local Olympic athlete questions Russia as an Olympic venue

CALGARY – A local Olympic athlete says two recent bombings in Russia are adding to her doubts about Russia as an Olympic destination.

Canadian biathlete Rosanna Crawford competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and is training for the 2014 games in Sochi.

She and five of her other team members are at the Canmore Nordic Centre this week. They leave for Europe on Saturday, and will compete in two World Cup races in Germany and in Italy before going to Russia for the Winter Olympics.

She says she isn’t worried about security for herself, but the violence over the past few days has left her wondering if Russia is the right venue for the games.

“It’s pretty disappointing,” says Crawford. “I think everything leading up to the Sochi Olympics has been very sad – with the gay rights movement and everything – I think there should’ve been a lot more thought look into it maybe before they were awarded the Olympics.”

“Hopefully, having the games there will shine a light on everything that’s going on in Russia, and how people are being treated,” added Crawford.

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is assuring Canadian participants their safety is its “main priority” at the Sochi Olympics

READ MORE: Olympic committee says Team Canada’s safety is ‘main priority’

Hours after a trolleybus explosion in Volgograd killed at least 14 people, COC said in a statement it “strives to ensure that athletes feel safe and secure at all times so 100 per cent of their attention is focused on their sport and achieving podium success.”The Winter Games are set to open in the Black Sea city of Sochi, approximately 990 kilometres southwest of Volgograd, on Feb. 7.Monday’s bombing and a deadly suicide bombing at Volgograd’s train station on Sunday raised concerns about the safety of people travelling to the games, especially because Volgograd is a key transport hub.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee works very closely with the RCMP, Sochi and Russian security agencies, medical and government partners in the months and years leading up to the Games to ensure the entire team remains safe throughout the Games,” said Monday’s statement.

“I’m glad my parents are not going,” says Crawford. “That would be a very big distraction – worrying about my parents all the time – so it’s nice to know they will be safe in Canmore cheering me on from the TV.”

READ MORE: Russia beefs up security after bombings kill 31

However, the bombings aren’t worrying the players of Canada’s women’s hockey team, who were at practice in Toronto Monday ahead of an evening face-off with arch-rival Team USA.

“That kind of stuff can happen anywhere. So, we’re not really stressed out about it and we’re going there to win the gold,” said first-time team member Melodie Daoust.

The team’s longest-serving member, forward Hayley Wickenheiser, also said the focus is on the team’s performance. Based on her experience, she doesn’t believe security will be an issue.

Wickenheiser has won three gold medals and a silver medal in the four Olympics she has competed in with the Canadian women’s hockey team.

“At the end of the day it’s about the athletes and the competition that goes on,” she said. “If the athletes just focus on that and performing, then nobody can take away anything from the Games.”

With files from Carolyn Kury de Castillo and The Associated Press

*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated Sochi is 650 kilometres from Volgograd. The distance between the two stories is approximately 990 kilometres