Tucker Fredricks is going to his third and likely final Olympics, but his family won’t be.
The speed skater asked his wife and parents not to travel to Sochi to watch him because of security concerns, according to the Janesville (Wis.) Gazette.
“Tucker said he doesn’t want to worry about us or about security,” his father, Dan, told the newspaper.
Fredricks, 29, qualified to race the 500m in Sochi. He was 25th in the event at the 2006 Olympics and 12th in 2010.
His parents attended both prior Olympics. His wife is two-time Japanese Olympic speed skater Eriko Seo.
“We don’t want to be a distraction,” his dad said. “The Olympics are all about him, not about us. He needs to concentrate, and if us being there is going to affect him, then we won’t go.”
Recent security concerns caused the U.S. State Department to issue a travel alert to Russia earlier this month.
