The safety of athletes is the “number 1 priority” of the American Olympic Committee, its leaders declared Monday. “The number 1 priority is the safety and well-being of the athletes,” added Nicole Deal, head of security for Team USA.
The size of the opening ceremony has already been reduced to a total of 320,000 spectators. No American athlete has yet expressed the wish not to participate for security reasons, Ms. Deal said. The U.S. delegation will be escorted during the Olympic Games by 70 State Department agents, she added. The opening ceremony is unique, the French have invested enormously (in this project), they have worked on this plan for a long time, said Ms Deal. The American delegation will parade on one or two boats, and no American athlete will express the wish to not participate, she said. It will be a “very well conducted symphony that day,’ she said, adding that she met with the Israeli security team to discuss the plan in detail.