LONDON -- After pointing yesterday to "disconcerting" events surrounding Great Britain's preparation for the Olympics, Mitt Romney this morning tempered his assessment of the country's readiness for the games.

In a joint appearance at Parliament with Labour leader Ed Miliband, Romney, who ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, said: “My experience with regards to the Olympics is it is impossible for absolutely no mistakes to occur.

"Of course there will be errors from time to time, but those are all overshadowed by the extraordinary demonstrations of courage, character and determination by the athletes," Romney continued, responding to a British reporter who asked about flaps here involving a shortfall of private security and mix-up of North and South Korean flags.  "The games are, after all, about the athletes, the volunteers and the people of the community that come together to celebrate those athletes. They are not about the Organizing Committee. And as soon as the sporting events begin, we all forget the organizers and focus on the athletes.”

That's a markedly different tone than what Romney used yesterday in an interview here with NBC's Brian Williams, who asked the GOP presidential nominee if Great Britain was ready for the games.

"You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out," he said.  "There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the — private security firm not having enough people — the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging."

Romney was alluding to a planned strike by British customs employees that was called off yesterday, a day ahead of when the potentially crippling walk-off was planned on what is expected to be Heathrow's busiest day ever.

The Republican did tell Williams that the games are "overwhelmingly" about the athletes, but his raising some of the potential problems here has created a stir in the London press.

While the interview aired too late for the newspapers, both the Times of London and the Daily Telegraph led their websites this morning with Romney's critique.

"Mitt Romney questions whether Britian is ready for the Games," read the Telegraph's online headline.

Romney's comments come as all things Olympics grip London and Britons attempt to put on their best face for the event.   The opening ceremonies are tomorrow, but athletes and government officials from across the world have already descended on a city that is swaddled in purple and "postbox red," the colors of the games.