Donald Trump's travel ban on refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim nations may damage Los Angeles' bid for the 2024 Olympics, according to a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Richard Peterkin told Sky News that the ban, which has been condemned by leading athletes including Sir Mo Farah, could influence the decision of IOC members when they vote on who will host the 2024 Games later this year.
Los Angeles is competing with Paris and Budapest, with the three cities formally submitting their candidacy files to the IOC today.
Mr Peterkin is the only IOC member to comment publicly about the ban, which he described as "totally contrary to Olympic ideals".
"As an individual who values human rights, I feel free to call out decisions in any part of the world that appear to be discriminatory," he said from his home in St Lucia.
"This could have an impact on people being able to train (in the US), to fly through, and attend sports events, particularly if LA wins the 2024 Olympics.
"The IOC says that collective responsibility should not trump individual justice, and this is what this executive order has in mind."
Mr Peterkin said he had an "open mind" about LA's bid and hoped members would vote on the basis of what was best for athletes, but said the volatile political climate could influence the election, with all three cities facing political challenges.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has adopted a hard line against refugees, and far right leader Marine Le Pen is considered a leading candidate for the French presidential election in May.
"We have three good bids but they all have issues because of what their government is doing," he said.
"In the case of Budapest, the Prime Minister has made statements about refugees that are not in accordance with IOC position.
"In France they have had to suspend certain rights and other issues could arise if there is a change of government and it goes very right wing and we might have similar issues.
"And in LA we have this executive order.
"In terms of individual IOC members, whose vote is private, we could all punish a good bid because of the government.
"But I look round the room and see intelligent people and I don't think they will make emotional decisions.
"I think they will make a decision in best interests of the athletes and the IOC."
The United States Olympic Committee has secured some exceptions to the draconian ban for some athletes, allowing them to travel to the US.
In a statement, it said: "It is our sincere hope that the executive order as implemented will appropriately recognise the values on which our nation, as well as the Olympic movement, were founded."
Among those athletes is Iranian-born Meisam Rafiei, who competes for Iceland in taekwondo.
He was thrown off a flight to the US on Monday before finally being admitted on Thursday after receiving an assurance from the US Embassy in Reykjavik.
"I think this rule is not right, it is not correct," he told Sky News as he prepared to fly.
"I am not a political man, I only want to compete.
"My life is sport and I have a dream to go to the Olympics.
"The US Open is one of the events that gives you points to go to the Olympics and that is all that I wanted to do."
There has been widespread criticism of the ban from athletes, with Farah's position echoed by middle-distance runner Lopez Lomong, a Somali refugee who moved to the United States when he was 16 and carried the US flag at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics.
He said: "I came here with nothing, all I had was a piece of paper, I-94 form when I arrived at JFK.
"I got through and I was handed a little book called Liberty that said 'Welcome to America'.
"It was 16 years ago this week. Just imagine if that (executive order) had been signed before I arrived here, my life would have been completely different.
"I could not have pursued my running career, I could have been dead.
"I was no-man's land as a refugee, I didn't have any country or flag to call my own but America opened its arms. This is a land where you can jump-start your life and dream big again."
LA is hoping to persuade the IOC to return to America for a summer games for the first time since the disastrous Atlanta Games in 1996.
Despite being the largest financial backer of the Olympic movement through broadcast contracts and sponsorship, IOC members have been hostile to US bids in the past irrespective of the political leadership.
Barack Obama's first overseas visit as President in 2009 was in Copenhagen to address the IOC on behalf of his hometown Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games. The US was ejected in the first round.
The final vote for 2024 will take place in Lima, Peru, in September.
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