BEIJING  The Chinese authorities appear to have lifted some of the restrictions that blocked Web sites for journalists working at the Olympic Village although other politically sensitive sites, including those on Tibet, remained inaccessible on Friday morning.

The government made no announcement about the partial lifting of its firewall, and it was unclear if the change was temporary.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday also sought to counter statements on Wednesday by one of its top press officials that suggested that I.O.C. negotiators had quietly acquiesced to the restrictions. Giselle Davies, a spokeswoman for the organizing committee, said a misunderstanding had led to the contradictory versions of events, but she stressed that Olympic organizers have always been adamant about unfettered Internet access for the 20,000 foreign journalists who will be covering the athletic competition, which begins on Aug. 8.

The loosening of restrictions, however limited, came after senior committee officials on Thursday spoke with Olympic organizers and urged them to reconsider their decision to maintain a ban on politically sensitive sites, which critics said violated previous pledges China had made to provide uncensored Internet access to reporters.