Alexander Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals and member of the 2014 Russian Olympic hockey team said in a “Today” show interview Monday that he is not worried about possible security threats in Sochi.
“I don’t think it’s going to be dangerous,” Ovechkin said. “Because I think our President Putin said we have some secret stuff up there, but I’m sure everything’s going to be fine and everybody’s going to be healthy and everybody going to have a good time.”
His comment came the same day that Russian forces became alert that the “black widow,” a female suicide bomber, may have breached Putin’s Ring of Fire.
Ovechkin laid out his goal to win the gold in his homeland next month, a prize that has alluded him at the past two Games he has competed in. The Russian team fell to the Canadians in 2010 and ended in sixth place overall, and was forced to settle for a disappointing fourth in 2006.
“I think everybody wants to win gold medals, especially playing hometown, home advantage, so I’m sure every hockey player, every man, every fan in Russia wants us to win,” Ovechkin said.
Earlier last year, Ovechkin did not wait to hear the NHL’s decision to allow their players to participate in the Olympics before committing to the Russian team. That decision put his $124 million contract with the Capitals in jeopardy.
“Nobody can tell me you can’t play for your country,” Ovechkin said in a Reuters interview.
Ovechkin was chosen to be the first person to carry the Olympic torch to initiate its journey to Russia in September.
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