Fans unfurl Putin banners at Russian Olympic hockey game; security quickly takes them down
Remember, sports fans. Russia is not competing at the Olympic Games.
Russia was naughty and cheated in Sochi, so the International Olympic Committee came down hard with sanctions that made sure Russian athletes would not appear in PyeongChang after their complex doping scheme in 2014.
No, wait. Make that Russian flags that the IOC banned. Russian athletes, you’re OK. All 168 of you.
The IOC’s feckless attempt to neuter the Russian delegation has been ineffective. While the Russian national anthem won’t be heard and its flag not officially waved, Russia’s presence on the field of competition and among its scorned fanbase is strong.
That fanbase made its presence known Friday during Russia’s, ahem … during the Olympic Athletes from Russia’s men’s hockey game against Slovenia, where fans in the stands displayed banners with the likeness of Russian President Vladimir Putin and pro-Russia slogans.
Olympic officials did not like that. While there are unfortunately no known images of the banners, a reporter from the Associated Press chronicled the unveiling of the banners and subsequent response from security officials.
At Russia-Slovenia hockey game. Someone has put up a 20-foot banner with Putin's face on it and inscription "no one is stronger than Russia in winter sports."
— James Ellingworth (@jellingworth) February 16, 2018
Make that two Putin banners in the Gangneung Hockey Centre. New one says "Korean sambo is for Russia." Sambo being a Russian martial art.
— James Ellingworth (@jellingworth) February 16, 2018
Security got involved and we're now down to one Putin banner. On the ice, it's 0-0 between Slovenia and the "Olympic Athletes from Russia."
— James Ellingworth (@jellingworth) February 16, 2018
Both Putin banners now gone. A woman is still sitting there with a large photo of what looks like Putin meeting the Russian hockey team a few weeks ago. Harassed-looking security guy is staring at it and making a phone call.
— James Ellingworth (@jellingworth) February 16, 2018
If the timeline of those tweets is accurate, it took security approximately 19 minutes to remove the pro-Russia propaganda from the arena from the time that it was unveiled.
Keep up the good work, IOC. Nobody outside of PyeongChang saw those banners. The charade of a Russia ban is still intact.