IOC spokesman laughed at Jimmy Kimmel's Sochi wolf hoax

SOCHI, Russia, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- An International Olympic Committee spokesman said he laughed at Jimmy Kimmel's gag video of a wolf walking down a Sochi Olympics hotel hallway.

The late-night host created the hoax video -- which depicted a wolf walking down a hallway resembling those at the U.S. dorms of the Olympic Village in Sochi -- and it was taken by some as real when it was posted to U.S. luge star Kate Hansen's Twitter account prior to her appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Hansen, who appeared on Kimmel's show via satellite while still in Sochi, said not everyone was amused by the wolf hoax.

"Honestly, there was a little bit more backlash than I thought there would be, but it was all worth it in the end," she said.

"I started hearing people talk around the building and then security started freaking out 'cause technically it's a breach within athlete safety," Hansen said. "It kind of went a little crazy over here."

Mark Adams, a spokesman for the IOC, said he doesn't believe the prank did any real harm.

"It made me kind of laugh as an individual, not as an IOC spokesman," Adams said. "I don't think there's any harm done. I don't think it's anything serious."