The International Olympic Committee and Chinese Olympic organisers claim all Internet restrictions for media covering the Beijing Games have been lifted, yet several restrictions remain.
'The issue has been solved,' vice-president Gunilla Lindberg said. 'The IOC Coordination Commission and BOCOG met last night and agreed. Internet use will be just like in any Olympics.'
However, that is not the case as China will still be able to block sites it deems 'subversive or against the national interest', according to a statement by IOC Press Commission chairman Kevan Gosper.
He claims: 'That's normal in most countries in the world.'
The normal level of internet censorship will continue in the rest of the country.
Earlier this week, foreign media outlets complained that their reporters were unable to access certain websites, including Amnesty International, Deutsche Welle, Reporters Without Borders and the BBC's China site.
Amnesty International's website posted a report on Monday that showed China's human rights violations has increased, despite promises to the IOC (read that report here).
Amnesty had condemned Internet restrictions during the Games as 'betraying the Olympic values'.
Marathon Contingency Plan
Olympics organisers said today they had a contingency plan for the marathon should pollution force a rescheduling or a postponement of the Games' final athletics competition.
The men's marathon is run on the last day of the Games on 24 Aug and with pollution in the city remaining a major problem days before the Games start, there have been concerns the Olympics would need to be extended if the event was rescheduled.
The International Olympic Committee has said it may reschedule events that require physical activity of more than an hour if pollution is bad on the day. The women's marathon is to be held on Sunday, 17 Aug.
Beijing organisers said whatever the change may be, and they declined to reveal what the contingency plan was, all competition would be finished by 24 Aug and the Games would not be extended for any sport.
Most observers believe the plan would be to take the race to another, less polluted Chinese city.
The city's chronic pollution has been one of the biggest worries for Games organisers, who have faced international criticism over air quality as they struggle to contain the environmental effects of China's economic growth.
Several athletes have expressed concern over ability to perform well in Beijing and Ethiopia's twice-Olympic 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie has pulled out of the marathon event for fear of damaging his health.
On Thursday, China announced a slew of emergency measures in and around Beijing in case air pollution remains poor during the Olympics, including taking more cars off the roads and slashing production at more than 220 factories.
