2016 Olympics head says Rio bid clean as French investigate

LONDON (AP) Rio de Janeiro's Olympics bid was clean, the organizing committee head said on Thursday after French prosecutors widened their investigation into athletics corruption to include bidding for the 2016 and 2020 Games.

''They did not mention Rio. Never,'' Carlos Nuzman told The Associated Press of the French authorities. ''Rio (is) without any problems. (It was) very correct, very open, and it's important. Another thing, we presented our accounts with everything what we paid.''

Rio beat Chicago, Madrid, and Tokyo for the 2016 Olympics in a 2009 vote. Tokyo is the 2020 host.

Separately, Nuzman said he hopes disgraced former FIFA president Joao Havelange, who celebrates his 100th birthday in May, will come to the Olympics.

FIFA's marketing agency partner ISL was found to have routinely bribed sports officials, including Havelange, before collapsing into criminal bankruptcy in 2001.

''It's not a concern for us ... he was he was very important to our country,'' Nuzman said. ''He will be invited to come to the games.''