BEIJING, Aug 15: Thieves stole eight bicycles belonging to the New Zealand Olympic team from the athletes village but returned them anonymously after an appeal from Kiwi officials, it was reported on Friday.

The stunned athletes found their bike rack almost empty one morning this week, with eight of the 10 bikes shipped to Beijing to help athletes get around the village missing, the New Zealand Press Association reported.

It said that without the pilfered pushbikes, New Zealand’s swimmers complained of tiredness after the taxing 250 metres (270 yards) stroll to the main dining hall.

New Zealand team boss Dave Currie launched an investigation and issued a heartfelt plea for the bikes’ return at the daily chefs de mission meeting.

“I said we’d like them back,” Currie told NZPA. “I didn’t want to know who took them, I just wanted to make sure they came back, no questions asked.”

Within two days the bikes had been returned, appearing one morning in the New Zealand’s bike rack just as mysteriously as they had disappeared.

Suspicion centred on New Zealand’s traditional trans-Tasman rivals Australia although Currie denied it.

“I’m not going to speculate on who they were, in the spirit of friendship,” he said. “I can assure you they weren’t Australians.”

He also said New Zealand were not planning on sending their foot-weary swimmers on dawn patrols to ensure the bicycle bandits don’t strike again.—AFP