Madrid 2016 said Tuesday allegations it spied on rival candidate Rio have been blown out of proportion.
Rio de Janeiro organizers stripped Simon Walsh, a British-based freelance journalist who also works on Madrid’s bid, of his credentials after they learned he had been accredited through Efe, the Spanish state-run news agency.
Malcolm Munro, Madrid’s international media director said, “(we) weren’t spying, weren’t trying to unveil secrets, just wanted to see how this thing works so we could organize the best possible one for the media (here). The whole thing has got out of proportion, really”, reports the Associated Press.
Saying the situation could have been handled better, Munro didn’t believe Rio would report Madrid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He said, “I think this thing is quite commonplace and nobody intends to underhand”.
Rio organizers were reportedly deciding whether or not to report Madrid to the IOC’s ethics commission.
