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Russian Fans Making Presence Known In Pyeongchang

Russian fans have dressed in the country's colors to compensate for the athletes' neutral uniforms.GETTY IMAGES

Ilya Kovalchuk has a "rule for any fans wanting an Olympic selfie -- put the Russian flag away," according to James Ellingworth of the AP. The forward for the "Olympic Athletes from Russia" hockey team is "worried" about breaking IOC sanctions. In the stands, though, Russian fans can be "as patriotic as they like." They have been a "loud and proud presence" at events like hockey, biathlon and figure skating, wrapped in flags and chanting in Russian. Many say that they want to "dress up to compensate for their athletes' drab neutral uniforms." The fans made the "half-full" Gangneung Hockey Center "ring with chants" during the Russian hockey team's opening game against Slovakia on Wednesday. A line of Russian women danced with pompoms, a Soviet flag flew and South Koreans lined up for selfies with a man dressed in a bear costume. The inscription on one flag read, "Russia is a big country and a great power." Many fans wore replicas of the Olympic uniform Russians were "due to wear before the IOC punishment came down in December" (AP, 2/15).

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