Officials at Russia's Winter Olympics have defended the use of TV rehearsal footage to cover up a glitch at the Sochi Games opening ceremony.

Only four of five floating rings linked up, leading state TV to cut to air the recorded images showing all five rings joining and fireworks exploding.

International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said: "I don't see what the problem is."

Officials also defended the choice of Irina Rodnina to light the cauldron. The skater sparked attention last year with a tweeted photo of Barack Obama doctored to add a banana.