British IOC member sent home after altercation with security guard

A British member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) involved in an altercation with an Olympic security guard has apologised for his actions and left the country, the organisation's spokesman said on Friday.

Adam Pengilly, a member of the IOC's Athletes' Commission, has apologised after verbally and physically abusing a volunteer security guard in PyeongChang on Thursday, and has left the Olympic Games, reports Yonhap news agency.

At a press briefing, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the IOC takes the incident "very, very gravely."

"I haven't seen the video footage. I do know that we quickly summoned (Pengilly) to see the Ethics and Compliance officer where the incident was discussed," Adams said.

"He admitted he made some errors, apologised and has left the country."

Adams said IOC President Thomas Bach had also made "an unreserved apology" to PyeongChang's organising committee over Pengilly's behavior, which Bach said was "unacceptable."

Pengilly denied in an earlier interview that there was any physical contact, but Adams said, "My understanding was that there was some physical contact."

According to Adams, Pengilly has written a letter of apology to the security guard, and Bach has asked to meet the security guard and meet the authorities to apologize in person.

Pengilly is a former skeleton slider who finished second at the 2009 world championships.

His term on the Athletes' Commission ends at the conclusion of the PyeongChang Olympics on February 25.

--IANS

sam/hs