REPUBLICAN presidential challenger Mitt Romney, his overseas trip already marked by his misstep of calling some of London's Olympics issues "disconcerting," has an Olympic history of his own: His management of the 2002 Winter Games in Utah was not without controversy.

Mr Romney was set to attend the opening ceremony of the London Games on the first part of a foreign tour that will take him to Israel and Poland. It's meant to test his diplomatic skills and political strengths as he challenges US President Barack Obama in the November election.

So far, he's been trying to soften his criticism of London's preparation for the games. British leaders jumped on his remarks, with British Prime Minister David Cameron saying, "Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere."

Former US gold medalist Carl Lewis told The Independent newspaper, "I swear, sometimes I think some Americans shouldn't leave the country. Are you kidding me, stay home if you don't know what to say."

Mr Romney's political career was born out of his leading role at the 2002 Olympics.

Asked about the stir his comments caused, he replied, "I'm absolutely convinced that the people here are ready for the Games, and in just a few moments, all the things the politicians say will be swept away" by excitement over the competition.

Later, Mr Romney discussed economics with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny in London. The Republican had to walk there from his hotel because of Olympics-snarled traffic.

His Olympic visit also brought fresh attention to Mr Romney's actions in Utah a decade ago.

Democrats and even some Republicans have criticised Mr Romney for taking credit for the 2002 games' success while relying on federal funding to help cover costs as the Salt Lake Olympics sought to recover from financial mismanagement and corruption.

"One of the things he talks about most is how he heroically showed up on the scene and bailed out and resolved the problems of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games," Rick Santorum, now a Mr Romney supporter, said in February when he opposed Romney for the Republican nomination.

"He heroically bailed out the Salt Lake City Olympic Games by heroically going to Congress and asking them for tens of millions of dollars to bail out the Salt Lake Games in an earmark."

By Mr Romney's account, the government spent about $US600 million helping the Salt Lake Olympic Committee.

He has made himself the very public face of the effort, claiming that he personally cut millions from the budget, wooed major companies and won sponsorships himself and pulled the whole endeavor back from the brink of failure. His record in Salt Lake was the cornerstone of his run for governor in Massachusetts, a campaign he announced just weeks after the games concluded.

Mr Romney, who promises to slash federal spending if elected president, rarely acknowledges the federal support for the 2002 games on the campaign trail. His aides say much of it was for increased security costs after the 2001 terrorist attacks, which occurred about five months earlier.

Mr Romney doesn't elaborate on his role in persuading congressional appropriators and critics to give the games more money.

In the 2004 book he wrote about the games, "Turnaround," Mr Romney mentioned one of the lessons he learned: "If you work at it long enough, there is always another way to get the help you need in Washington."



Originally published as Olympic spotlight falls on Romney