U.S. Pulls Back Its Athletes

Concerns over the security of U.S. athletes scheduled to compete overseas after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington have led the national governing bodies of figure skating, speedskating and field hockey to pull delegations out of international events.

In addition, USA Track and Field, aware its athletes might train or vacation overseas even though the outdoor track season has ended, issued an advisory cautioning athletes against wearing U.S. national team logos or clothing “carrying logos of designers or companies typically identified as U.S. companies.”

It also advised athletes to travel only if necessary, to contact the U.S. Embassy when they arrive at their destination, and to keep a low profile in public. That includes avoiding crowds, demonstrations and discussions in which emotions could become heated.

The advisory was in part prompted by fears of reprisals against American athletes should the U.S. launch a military response to last week’s attacks.

“Most everyone wants to err on the side of caution when traveling, particularly if people are wearing the USA uniform,” USATF spokesman Tom Surber said. “Most everyone is on pins and needles.”

The U.S. Figure Skating Assn. on Tuesday withdrew U.S. entrants from all remaining Junior Grand Prix events. A Junior Grand Prix competition scheduled to start Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz., was previously postponed after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bob Dunlop, director of media relations for the USFSA, said no senior-level athletes have been pulled out of international competitions. He also said he’s not aware of any foreign athletes or judges who might have withdrawn from the first Grand Prix event of the season, Skate America, to be held Oct. 25-28 in Colorado Springs.

“Clearly, we’re listening to our athletes,” Dunlop said. “In the decision made [Tuesday], the kids are younger. They’re not adults, and it’s a concern to send kids that age across the world.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming months, but any decision that will be made will be made with great caution.”

U.S. speedskating canceled a trip for a group of 10 short track skaters and six support staffers. The skaters were to race in the season-opening World Cup event Friday at Changchun, China, and another World Cup event a week later in Nobeyama, Japan. They will rejoin the World Cup circuit next month in Calgary, Canada.

“Ninety percent of them told us they don’t want to go, even if we said they could go,” said Katie Marquard, executive director of U.S. Speedskating.

The U.S. women’s national field hockey team canceled a trip to Amiens/Abbeville, France, for a World Cup qualifying tournament that started Monday. The international field hockey federation will allow the U.S. women to qualify for the 2002 World Cup by playing a best-of-three series against the seventh-place team from the qualifying tournament.