U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney tried to backtrack Thursday from comments he made that seemed to question Britain's ability to host the Olympic Games.
Within hours of his arrival in the British capital Wednesday, NBC News aired an interview wih Romeny in which he said that last-minute concerns over London's security staffing for the games were "disconcerting."
But after meeting with top British officials including Prime Minister David Cameron Thursday, Romney said he expected the games to be "highly successful" and that it was "impossible for absolutely no mistakes to occur."
Mr. Cameron had defended London's preparations and said it was easier to hold the Olympics "in the middle of nowhere" than in London. The comment was apparently in reference to the 2002 Olympics in ((the U.S. state of)) Utah, which Romney managed.
Romney is expected to attend Friday's opening ceremonies for the Olympics. He then travels to Israel and Poland.