Blake Skjellerup in action Gay New Zealand Winter Olympian Blake Skjellerup is confident security will be tight when he heads to an increasingly anti-gay Russia to compete next year. Skjellerup will represent New Zealand in short track speed skating at the Sochi Winter Games in February. Since he came out, the sportsman has been a powerful GLBTI rights advocate, particularly when it comes to youth. As he is working towards his trip to Russia, horrific cases of anti-gay violence are being reported, and a national law banning ‘gay propaganda’ is in the works. “I would not say I am worried about my safety,” Skjellerup says. “Being an athlete at the Olympics you are in this bubble. You basically go between the athletes’ village and the training and competition venues. The security is tight and you can be oblivious as to what is going on outside of that bubble.” Skjellerup visited in January and says security was tight, with athletes advised to only go between the hotel and the ice rink. He says the new law Russia is near introducing is clearly a massive discrimination towards the LGBT community. “It's like stepping back 30 years.” He has a Pride Pin, which was created at the London Olympics, which he promises he will wear every day in Sochi. When it comes to his on-track preparations, Skjellerup says they are going well. “I am based back in Calgary for the build-up and I am fully focused to be at my 110 per cent in Sochi.” Follow Blake: www.blakeskjellerup.com www.twitter.com/BlakeSkjellerup www.facebook.com/TheBlakeSkjellerup
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 12th June 2013 - 2:52pm