This paper key for the privileged fits every lock at the Olympics

Rio de Janeiro

HIS Royal Highness Tunku Imran of Malaysia was sitting in the media centre at the badminton arena recently, holding his Olympic credential with both hands. To untrained eyes, it looked like little more than a piece of laminated paper. But the prince's eyes are anything but untrained.

"Accreditation is everything at the Olympics," he said, "and this is the best one." So, it's as good as gold here? "No," he said, correcting politely. "It's platinum."

Long before the opening ceremony, a very different Olympic competition had u…