Janet Napolitano, the former United States Secretary of Homeland Security, has said that President Barack Obama's decision not to travel to Sochi for the Winter Olympics was not intended as a snub to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The former Illinois senator did not attend the Games' opening ceremony on Friday, with some suggesting that he is opposed to some of Russia's domestic policies.

"I think the President chose delegations that represent leaders from various walks of life, former Olympians, leaders in government service," Napolitano is quoted as saying by CNN.

Obama previously played down rumours of a rift between the two leaders, suggesting that their relationship is not "icy".