Swimming Australia has supported the decision by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to ban two swimmers from the Olympic Games closing ceremony.

Josh Palmer and Emma McKeon were forbidden from attending the closing ceremony in Rio after both failed to return to the athletes' village on Thursday night.

Palmer said he awoke "disoriented" on the famous Copacabana beach and was approached by a man who held him at gunpoint and forced him to withdraw 750 U.S. dollars from a nearby ATM.

Mark Anderson, CEO of Swimming Australia, said he agreed with the decision by AOC Chef de Mission, Kitty Chiller, to ground the two athletes for the remainder of the Games.

"Our athletes' safety, health and well-being is of paramount importance and the sanctions applied reinforces this position for the two involved athletes and the team," Anderson said in a statement issued from Swimming Australia's head office in Melbourne.

"The values of the Olympic Team and the Australian Swim team are our foundation. We hold each other accountable for these values. These are two isolated incidents that do not reflect on the whole team."

McKeon, who won four medals at the Rio Olympics including one gold, said she forgot to inform team officials that she would not return to the village after deciding at 4:30 a.m. to stay with a friend rather than risk the hour-long journey by car back to the village.

The decision to ban both swimmers from the ceremony, which begins on Sunday night, is a particularly harsh punishment for McKeon who was believed to be a frontrunner to carry the Australian flag for the event.

"Palmer and McKeon's behavior was unacceptable and they breached disciplinary protocols. I have raised the need for the swimming team leader to ensure he is aware of his athlete's whereabouts when leaving the Olympic Village and that the swimming athletes observe the 2 a.m. curfew," Chiller said in a statement.

Despite alleging that he was robbed, Palmer chose not to lodge an official report with Rio police.

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