INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S GAMES For athletes, security takes a back seat

The security director for the event said people can feel safe at the sites.
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) -- Two teenage buddies and tennis teammates from Germany who will compete in the International Children's Games are more concerned about the competition than security at the high-profile Cleveland event to be opened by President Bush.
Still, Dennis Wannemacher, 15, of Darmstadt, Germany, said he was glad to see tight security at his campus home for the games, the usually quiet John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland.
As Wannemacher and Niklas Eder, 14, also of Darmstadt, practiced for the four-day competition involving 2,200 youngsters from 58 nations, SWAT and mounted officers patrolled, police cars blocked an adjacent street and an officer and K-9 dog awaited some action.
"I think it's good," said Wannemacher, surveying the security, already tight two days before President Bush was to open the games this evening at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"It would be easy to come and it would be easy to ..." said Wannemacher, leaving unmentioned the thought of a terrorist attack.
Making a comparison
Eder noticed the heightened police presence compared to his homeland. "The security is extreme. It's everywhere," he said.
They got their first taste of America's post-Sept. 11, 2001, security level at the Newark, N.J., airport when they arrived.
"We had to take our shoes off," said Wannemacher, who nevertheless seemed more concerned about the competition when not pressed about his familiarity with security details.
Wannemacher said he was impressed with the competition level after seeing two Cleveland girls practicing. Asked to assess his own playing level, he had a two-word answer and a wink: "Pete Sampras."
Eder also has something other than security on his mind: He was concerned about a no-slip macadam practice surface that wouldn't fit his style of sliding into position. "You have to run more," he said.
Florentino Solon Jr., 43, of Cebu City, Philippines, whose son will compete in the swimming events, also was impressed with the security. But he likewise had other things on his mind when he arrived in Cleveland after 27 hours of flights via Manila, Los Angeles and Cincinnati.
Solon, who is staying at a Cleveland hotel, was worried whether his 12-year-old son, John Sebastian, would get a wake-up call at his John Carroll dorm room in time to make his event.
As for the security, "It's appropriate that they take the necessary measures to protect the children," said Solon, who was barred from entering a campus gym without a credential.
Solon, an architect who joked that he owned part of Ohio -- the nearby community of Solon -- said America's infrastructure made it easier to protect than the less-developed Philippines, which has been the target of attacks by Islamic separatists.
Reassurance from official
John Ligato, a former FBI agent who directs security for the Children's Games, said athletes, relatives and fans can feel safe at the various competition sites across the city.
"We don't want the public to worry about safety," he said. "We've got it covered. We want them to come down and enjoy themselves and not worry about security."
Federal Homeland Security officials and law-enforcement officers from 20 jurisdictions have been involved in security arrangements. Bush's appearance at the opening ceremonies, which could draw 30,000 or more, added to the mix.
Ligato said there had been no specific threats against the games.
Security, noticeable days before most participants had arrived, include a high-tech credential system for athletes, coaches, volunteers and the press, bomb-sniffing dogs and flight restrictions related to Bush's appearance.
The games, endorsed by the International Olympic Committee, are for children ages 11-15, with competition in sports including track and field, swimming, basketball and gymnastics.