Larry Buendorf, a former 20-year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service, has served as the United States Olympic Committee's Chief Security Officer for the past 15 years. In addition to making security preparations for America's Olympic delegations, Buendorf

Next month, a delegation of nearly 1,200 U.S. athletes, coaches and support staff will make their way to Beijing, China, for the Olympics games. Behind the scenes, United States Olympic Committee Chief Security Officer Larry Buendorf will be keeping a close eye on the games, making sure that the four years he’s spent making security preparations with local authorities keep the Olympians and their handlers safe.

Buendorf became the USOC’s Chief Security Officer in 1993, following a career of more than 20 years with the U.S. Secret Service. While working for the Secret Service’s Presidential Protection Division, Buendorf thwarted an assassination attempt against President Gerald Ford in September 1975 when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme tried to pull a gun on the president.

In addition to planning and implementing security measures for U.S. Olympic delegations, Buendorf is also responsible for the safety of athletes and staff at the USOC’s three training centers, located in Chula Vista, Calif., Lake Placid, N.Y., and the committee’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.

In the midst of preparations for the upcoming summer games, Buendorf spoke with the SecurityInfoWatch.com about the unique security challenges posed by the Olympics and what it takes to keep America’s athletes safe.

What are some of your biggest challenges as chief security officer for the USOC?

I guess the biggest challenge is across the board, ensuring the security of our athletes whether they’re here domestically or whether they’re away internationally. It’s trying to stay on top of all the world issues that are going on, crises that are happening worldwide that might affect where our athletes are traveling. So that’s a constant pressure of trying to keep a finger on world activities.

Do you have a particular fear or is there one thing that scares you the most about the athletes’ travel?