Speed skater says Sochi not for loved ones

The parents of an American Olympian will be watching their son compete from their living room couch, rather than the Olympic stadium in Sochi, after the speed skater said he feared for their safety in the southern Russian city.

“He wanted us to stay home so he wouldn’t have to worry about it,” Shawn Fredricks, mother of speed skating star Tucker Fredricks, told ABC News’ chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross on Wednesday. “It’s totally tough.”

Tucker’s father, Dan Fredricks, said his son was concerned about the “overall security” of the event or that there could be a terrorist attack.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Dan Fredricks said. “We want to go there to support him, but we understand that he has to concentrate on the race. So we said, ‘OK, we’ll stay home and watch it on TV.’ ”

Dan said back in October that Tucker, 29, requested his family, including his wife, stay home for what’s likely his final Olympic outing out of fear for their safety, but not his own. Dan said the U.S.

Olympic Committee has been good about advising the team on how to stay safe, and said Tucker has been advised not to venture too far out of the Olympic Village, where security is highest.

Echoing the sentiments of intelligence officials interviewed by ABC News previously, House Homeland Intelligence Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said that while the Russian authorities are doing everything they can to ensure a safe event, he remains concerned that militants in the region could breach security to attack the games or, more likely, strike at soft targets like hotels and restaurants outside the perimeter security.

“I think, quite frankly, [the Russians] are playing a bit of a catch-up game, but they caught up … I will tell you from a security standpoint that I do believe that the Olympic Village itself is very secure and fortified,” McCaul said. “Outside of that, I can’t give any guarantees.”

Worth the price?

From Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Ind.:

“Did you see where Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw signed a seven-year, $215 million contract?” Hayes wrote.

“That sounds like a lot until you break it down and it comes out to only about $230,000 per inning.

Keep in mind that some innings last nearly 15 minutes, and there’s a lot of standing.”

Grass eater

Florida State basketball recruit Cinmeon Bowers was arrested Jan.

16 after allegedly eating marijuana in an effort to conceal it from police.

Bowers and two teammates from Chipola College in Marianna, Fla., were pulled over for speeding, and police said they smelled marijuana coming from the car.

Bowers, along with Torian Graham and Jamaar McKay-Taylor, then allegedly tried to eat the marijuana and were arrested and charged with tampering with evidence.

Wrote Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: “So does this mean Bowers is now considering Washington, Colorado or Gonzaga ?”

Quote of the day

“Anybody that questioned our commitment to winning is going to have to question themselves.” New York Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, whose team signed Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to a $155 million contract

Sports, Pages 16 on 01/23/2014