Planning for security is as much part of the Olympic Games as the Opening Ceremony and gold medals. The Torino Games is no exception, and the Australian team has undertaken its own security planning in conjunction with TOROC.

“We are well prepared for any security aspect and have been working closely with the AOC for a long time,” Australian Ambassador to Italy and Australian team attaché Peter Woolcott said.

“We have no information of any specific threat against these Games. The Italian government is taking security very seriously. There has been sound and professional planning by the Italian authorities. There is a large Italian security presence with 9,000 law enforcement officers and 2,000 members of the army working on the Games.”

Enrico Casagrande, the head of Australian team security, will be joined in Torino by two members of the Australian Federal Police and one from another agency to oversee team security.

Casagrande noted that recent controversy through Europe and the Middle East over cartoons had not impacted on security for the Australian team.

“Everything is in place and the cartoon controversy hasn’t changed that,” Casagrande said.

“We are confident everything possible is being done to protect our team.”

Australian Chef de Mission, Ian Chesterman said that the Australian team has been well briefed about what to expect in and around Torino during the Games.

“Each member of the teams gets a security briefing,” Chesterman said. “The athletes responded well to that.”

“There was no sense of anxiety. There was much more anxiety four years ago in Salt Lake City. The athletes will go about their normal business and have a good time here.”

Kevin Diggerson/AOC

Torino