Olympic snowboarder Kelly Clark not worried about security at South Korea games

Snowboarder Kelly Clark knows a thing or two about how world events can effect the Olympic Games.

Clark's very first Olympic appearance was in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2002, just months after the attacks on 9/11. Emotions were high heading into the Games -- and surveillance was even higher.

"The security five months after 9/11 was pretty tight," she told AOL.com during an interview at a Team Kellogg's event.

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The 2002 Olympics were only the second time snowboarding was ever featured as a sport after its introduction in 1998. Clark won the gold medal in the women's halfpipe event, which was not only her first gold, but also the first for the country in snowboarding -- and the first medal awarded to the U.S. overall during those Games.

"It was just something to be celebrated," she recalled. "Nothing will ever be more special."

Look back at Kelly Clark's Olympic successes:

Considering the 2002 Olympics served as a much-needed distraction and pick-me-up after the events of 9/11, its reasonable to believe that the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang may do the same.

Political tensions are currently high all around the world, but especially surrounding the nuclear weapons boasted by North Korea. Pyeongchang is located in South Korea's northern Gangwon Province, which borders the Demilitarized Zone between the two countries.

North Korea has continually spoken out against the United States and President Donald Trump, often threatening a nuclear attack.

Security, however, isn't something that worries Clark.

"I feel like going into every Games there's a lot of non-competition related news," the four-time Olympian said. "I've found that the U.S. does a really good job of keeping us athletes safe."

Related: See how South Korea is preparing for the Games:

If Clark is named to the U.S. team after snowboarding qualifiers in December and January, she will be competing in her fifth straight Winter Olympics.

"The Olympics has a really unique way of bringing the world together like nothing else can," she said. "No matter what kind of political climate or differences we have, there's something that the power of sport does to really put those things aside and celebrate the amazing sports stories that we see every four years."

The Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is scheduled for February 9, 2018.