Olympics-Dutch reporter on-air incident was isolated case says IOC

By Karolos Grohmann

BEIJING (Reuters) – An incident involving a Dutch reporter in the midst of a stay broadcast who was dragged away by Chinese language safety officers was an remoted occasion and won’t have an effect on international media’s reporting on the Beijing Video games, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) mentioned on Saturday.

The journalist, Sjoerd den Daas, was delivering his stay report back to public broadcaster NOS on Friday night throughout the Video games opening ceremony within the Chinese language capital when a number of safety officers surrounded him and one in every of them forcefully dragged him away.

One other safety officer tried to carry his hand in entrance of the digital camera because the reporter tried to proceed talking to it.

The broadcaster needed to interrupt the hyperlink with the reporter, leaving the studio anchor again within the Netherlands confused.

“Clearly now we have been in contact with the NOS, the state broadcaster, and it was an unlucky circumstance,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams mentioned.

“I believe somebody was being overzealous. He (the reporter) was in a position to, in a short time afterwards with the assistance of officers there, do his piece to digital camera.”

Video games members, together with media, are restricted to a “closed loop” throughout the Video games, which incorporates the venues, the media centre and the lodging.

All members should stay in that loop for all the length of the Video games as a part of China’s well being measures to minimise the danger of any coronavirus unfold throughout the Feb. 4-20 Video games.

There have been considerations over whether or not visiting media will likely be allowed to freely do their job in China throughout the Video games.

However the IOC has repeatedly assured them that the contract signed with the Chinese language hosts would enable each participant, together with athletes and media, to talk freely throughout the loop.

“These items do occur and I believe it’s a one-off. I hope it’s a one-off and we are going to guarantee you that throughout the closed loop it is possible for you to to hold in your work,” Adams mentioned.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Enhancing by Ken Ferris)