Olympic swimming gold medallist Stephanie Rice is the latest Australian sports star to voice safety concerns about competing in October's New Delhi Commonwealth Games, it was reported Monday.
Rice, 21, who won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said she might not defend her Commonwealth 200 and 400 metres individual medley titles depending on how security for athletes in Delhi measures up.
"It's something that I have to give serious consideration," Rice told The Daily Telegraph.
"And if there is any serious or credible risk, then that will prompt a rethink. I just want to see what transpires in coming months."
Last week Australia's discus world champion Dani Samuels said she was prepared to skip the New Delhi Games over security fears.
Australia Foreign Minister Stephen Smith left on Monday for India where he plans to check on security arrangements for the Games, saying that the country was at "high risk" of terror attacks.
Smith said at the weekend that while a recent threat from a group linked to Al-Qaeda -- which reportedly warned competitors against attending the field hockey World Cup, cricket's Indian Premier League and Commonwealth Games -- was not credible, risks remained.
Security in India has become a major issue after a recent bombing at a restaurant in the city of Pune which killed 16 people and the 2008 attacks on Mumbai.
The Commonwealth Games, the biggest sporting event in India since the Asian Games in 1982, will be held in New Delhi October 3-14.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/commonwealth-games/Olympic-champ-Rice-voices-safety-concerns-over-Delhi-security/articleshow/5629790.cms
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