A British International Olympic Committee member and former Olympian has been sent home from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang following an altercation with a security guard.
Adam Pengilly, 40, was dismissed after the incident, where he was accused of injuring a security card outside of a hotel.
The IOC announced the departure on Thursday and apologised for Mr Pengilly’s behaviour, saying that the organisation was ‘extremely sorry for the incident that he caused’.
They said that Mr Pengilly’s IOC membership would be cancelled as of 25 February, ending his eight years with the independent organisation.
An IOC spokesperson said: ‘Following an interview with the IOC Ethics and Compliance officer he will leave the Olympic Games and South Korea with immediate effect.
‘We would like to once again thank all the authorities and the police who are doing an excellent job and deserve all our thanks.
The statement gave no details on the incident but said that Mr Pengilly had also apologised for the incident.
But, speaking to insidethegames, Mr Pengilly denies any intention to have brought harm to the security guard, explaining that he had only tried to walk past him when told to go the other way.
Mr Pengilly said: ‘He blocked my path, came close to me, and asked to see my accreditation.
‘I showed it and, when he came even closer to me, I asked to see his manager. He wouldn’t take me to his manager and asked to take a photograph of my accreditation.
‘This went on for 30 seconds or so, and then I ran past him.
‘I heard him shout ‘stop’ but didn’t turn around or look back. I have since heard that he fell over and has evidently suffered scratches, but I did not hear him fall or shout out.
‘At no point did I touch him and, although I have been told that footage makes it look as if I pushed him, this was not the case and, if anything, he was coming towards me.’
Mr Pengilly is a former skeleton slider who competed in two Olympic Games, 2006 and 2010.
He has been an outspoken critic of the IOC’s approach to Russia.