AOC: The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has today apologised to athletes caught up in an accreditation incident in RIO which resulted in them being detained by police.

“The athletes were held at a police station for many hours and I apologise for the trauma they went through, the problem with the accreditation was not their fault” said Chef de Mission, Kitty Chiller.

The AOC has launched an internal investigation into the incident which saw a group of Australian athletes removed from a basketball game involving Australia and Serbia because their accreditation had been tampered with and changed enabling them to gain access to the event.

“For legal reasons I am not in a position to elaborate except to say it is important to know that the Australian athletes were definitely not at fault. I am very disappointed our athletes had to go through what they went through last night."

The AOC is now in the process of paying the fine imposed by a Brazilian Court of 90 thousand Real (10,000 per athlete).

Chiller and the Chief Executive Officer of the AOC, Fiona De Jong, met with the athletes again today offering continued support to them and their families.

AOC