"The Games has survived many things…
But we have to ensure that there are no security breaches, and that is why I put security at the top of the list of priorities."
Jacques Rogge – President of the International Olympic Committee

Today’s Olympic Games, and other large ‘super events’, continue to be held in an uncertain and increasingly unpredictable security environment. Unfortunate occurrences in past Games and sporting events highlight the risks to athletes, officials and the general public. However, many other incidents go un-reported because they are prevented by good security planning.

Protecting major sporting events is a major challenge in this era of terrorism and extreme violence. Unlike the ancient Olympic Games, when the Greek states declared a truce from hostilities, in the modern world there is no cessation of violence. On the contrary, many experts feel the intense media coverage and international attention afforded to major sports events provides the ideal stage for terrorists and extremists to commit terrible crimes against innocent people.

Security planning is not based on luck or probabilities. Threats and risks need to be assessed and security plans developed accordingly. However, risks and threats can change and therefore the security posture adopted must provide an optimum level of