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 "I truly feel just as safe and secure here as I have at the
previous two Olympics," she told reporters on Monday after her first
few days in the athletes' village in the mountains.
"We've never stayed in the athletes' village before while we're
competing and actually that adds an element of comfort because you
are already in the secure zone. So we're just walking up the hill
right to our mogul course...It's been wonderful."
Security at the Winter Games has been likened to a sixth Olympic
ring around Sochi, which lies on the western edge of the mainly
Muslim North Caucasus where an insurgency is aiming to create an
Islamist state.
Concern about potential attacks on a showcase event for Russian
leader Vladimir Putin grew after twin suicide bombings in December
killed 34 people in Volgograd, a city some 700 km (400 miles)
northeast of Sochi.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said he believes Sochi is safe and
Kearney, focusing on her training, agreed it felt that way so far.
In Vancouver four years ago, getting to the Olympic competition
venue at Cypress Mountain involved the stresses of travelling by van
through repeated security checks and metal detectors.
"Clearly there have been a lot of questions about security and a lot
of focus on it, and with that (we) came in with some expectations
that it would be different and more stressful and it has not," said
the 27-year-old.
Kearney, the overwhelming favorite to return home to Norwich,
Vermont, with a second title, won the test event in Sochi last year
as well as world championship gold.
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FIRMER SNOW
She said the Olympic moguls piste should suit her style even if
conditions have changes since last year when they were warm and
slushy and similar to Vancouver. Now the snow is firmer and more
like it was in Turin in 2006.
"I think that bodes well for a strong technical team like us," she
said. "Having the firmer base is a great thing for the course."
The physical characteristics have changed because of the extra snow,
with more rolls and a steeper top section, and there is far more at
stake now.
"There was absolutely nothing on the line technically a year ago and
now everything supposedly is on the line," Kearney said of her
prospects.
"I know that everyone wants to beat me even more and there's no
place to go from the top but fall or stay there.
"If you are wearing the number one bib and are the Olympic gold
medalist, no matter what happens on the day you are never going to
be the underdog. So it sort of changes your mentality a little bit."
Kearney, however, said her approach remained the same and there
would be no complacency and although her rivals might be younger,
and maybe hungrier, the American is feeling strong.
"Have you seen my thighs?," she laughed. "I am built for mogul
skiing."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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