By AFPMore by this AuthorPYEONGCHANGThere is a grey door at the Pyeongchang Winter Games media centre with a sign reading "Olympic Athletes from Russia", but it is rarely open and inside there are no Russian flags or colours. Despite officially not competing in the Games, Russia, along with North Korea, has dominated debate in the lead-up to Friday's opening ceremony. Their social media will be monitored to make sure they call themselves "Olympic Athlete from Russia" or "OAR". But it is that Olympics which helped propel Russia to where they are today at the Olympics: banned and marginalised, a pariah. Russia's track and field athletes were consequently banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics and the whole team was barred from the Paralympics.

Source: Daily Nation February 07, 2018 09:11 UTC