The mayor's office said Mr Livingstone was invited by Lord Moynihan - chair of the British Olympic Association - to attend a sports congress in Cuba.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | London | Mayor's foreign trip was 'modest'

Still, that change would have had to be a custom request of the private funders of the Olympic team, who -- unlike the Congress -- might have felt obligated to stay within budget.

CNN: Why NOT make Olympic uniforms in China?