BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Beijing Olympic Games organizers said here on Wednesday that they had lip-synched the girl's singing at last Friday's Games opening ceremony to ensure the "best voice and the best performer."

    "There were a number of candidates to sing the song and the artistic directors just picked the best voice and the best performer," said Sun Weide, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games.

    Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke, a Beijing primary school student, impressed the spectators when she appeared on the stage in a bright red party dress to sing a patriotic song, "A Hymn to the Motherland", shortly after the opening gala began on Friday.

    It was later reported that she was actually lip-synching to the pre-recorded voice of another girl.

    In response to a reporter's question, Sun said on Wednesday the pre-recording was a combined decision by the artistic directors and broadcasters.

    A senior official with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) echoed his point.

    "You have to make sure performance and the song is at the highest level, it is a casting or it is a technical decision by the producer," said IOC's Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli at the same press conference.

    "You have to put it into the context of the opening ceremony and the complexity of 15,000 performers... Of course all of them have to change roles on the preparation," he added.

    Felli said the Beijing Olympics opening was "fantastic" and the performance was "great." "Now we have been very pleased with its outcome...one of the most complicated event to organize in the world."