Olympic security concerns

What do Canadian Olympians think about the security situation in Sochi?

We had the pleasure of speaking to Dylan Moscovitch and Kristen Moore-Towers Tuesday at their practice in Waterloo. The figure skating pair are ranked 5th in the world and heading to Sochi.  And while there, we asked the athletes about the security situation in Russia and whether or not they’re concerned. Here’s what they had to say: “Were going there to do our job and they’ve hired security to do their job. And they’ve hired the best of the best just like the Olympics brings in athletes are the best of the best. They did their jobs, we do ours and thats that.

The skaters are more focused on what they have to do at the games and the Sochi Olympics will be very different from the rest because there’s a new figure skating event. A team event that will see the top 10 skating countries competing in the four disciplines. In ladies, mens, pairs and dance. That event will be before individual events and happen before the opening ceremonies so this crop of Olympians will be pioneers of sorts.

21-year old St. Catharines native Kristen Moore-Towers and her skating pairs partner 29-year old Dylan Moscovitch are heading to the Olympics and can’t wait: “For the most part, I like to have a bit of fun and half way through I was like ‘Dylan we’re going to the Olympics, Dylan. But it was more like Dylan were going to the Olympics. Like that figure skating has been a part of the Winter Olympics for more than 100 years. But for the first time in Sochi it will be contested as a team event.”

Coach Kris Wirtz: “What I see it as is an opportunity for each country to put their best forward and actually have a country awarded the best figure skating country in the world and that is something that we’ve been missing.”

Historically, Canada does very well at new winter Olympic sports and we’re a figure skating power house. So the new team event could just be another medal under our belt