The Australian Olympic team have banned swimmers Josh Palmer and Emma McKeon from the closing ceremony for breaches of discipline following a night out in Rio de Janeiro.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Kitty Chiller, Chef de Mission of Australian Olympic team:

(On Josh Palmer.)

"Two businessmen, one of whom is Australian, found him in the beach region of Copacabana, and we are extremely, extremely grateful to those businessmen for doing the right thing, contacting our embassy... and that's how we were advised, our security rep was advised by our consulate general. So absolutely very grateful to those two gentlemen."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Kitty Chiller, Chef de Mission of Australian Olympic team:

(On Josh Palmer.)

Q. Do you believe him Kitty?

"Absolutely, we believe what he says, have no reason to doubt what he says. He's angry and he's come back with a recount of what occured to him between around 10am yesterday morning and 1.40 in the afternoon. I have no reason to doubt him."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Kitty Chiller, Chef de Mission of Australian Olympic team:

(On Josh Palmer.)

Q. Do you think he was wary about going to the police after what's happened to Ryan Lochte and the U.S. swimmers?

"Look, there's been a lot happening in the last couple of days with going to police. We gave Josh every opportunity and the pros and cons, if you like, of going to the police. We can't force him. It's his decision at the end of the day."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Kitty Chiller, Chef de Mission of Australian Olympic team:

(On Emma McKeon.)

"Emma's breach of the security protocol was that she did not advise team management of her whereabouts. She decided to stay out with friends - that was the right decision for her to make at that point in time given she found herself on her own. She was with friends, it was the right decision for her to make. The wrong decision that she made was to not advise team management of her whereabouts, so at 8 o'clock the next morning swimming management did not know where she was."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Kitty Chiller, Chef de Mission of Australian Olympic team:

(On disciplinary steps taken.)

"It's not a punishment, it is us ensuring and swimming ensuring that the safety and security of all our team members remains paramount. This could have ended up a lot worse and I do not want any athlete to put themselves in a position... we know what goes on in Copa(cabana) and Ipanema... we have recommended to athletes that they go to Barra, we have identified safe areas in Barra for them to go to. I do not want to have to call a parent and tell them that their child has been robbed, mugged... or anything worse. Everything that we put in place is not the 'fun police', it's not party-poopers, it is ensuring that their safety remains paramount in their minds as well as ours."