*GAMES -RUSSIAN- GUESTS*

THEY ARRIVED  for the opening ceremony dressed in pale gray coats, waving to the crowd and taking selfies  as if to prove to themselves-

That they were really there, after all, at the Olympics.

In fact, 169 Olympic Athletes From Russia, as they are officially known, arrived in South Korea for the Peyeongchang Games.

After the scandal over Russia's state-controlled doping scheme at the 2014 Sochi Games, it seemed as if there would no athletes from that country at all.

Watching them over the past two weeks has been to witness strange things. The letters OAR replaced RUS on outfits and uniforms as, as if some newly born nation were competing.

The Olympic flag has been shown next to the athletes names on television and also raised on medal ceremonies, though the tally of medals has been subdued because-

Many  of those who had won competitions in Sochi were absent because of doping accusations. Not until Day 14, with Alina Zagitotova's victory in women figure skating, did Russia claim its first gold medal.

The Russian supporters in the stands took it upon themselves to make up for the quasi-anonymity of the athletes and to push back against the International Olympic Committee's punishment.

Some appear to be part of the organized groups, arriving at the games with matching hats and shirts bearing the phrase :

''Russia in My Heart,'' a poke at the location of the Russian flag that was missing on the athletes attire.

They have been particularly visible at the Hockey games, writes James Hill, where  cheerleaders  have whirled pom-poms sand they have belted out Russian folk songs.

Another center of action has been the country's Sports House {it was prohibited from calling it  Russian House]. near the cluster of venues in coastal Gangneung.

Gigantic matryoshkas, or nesting dolls, adorn the walls. Russians pop Karaoke  pumps up the atmosphere, and fans gather to watch the Games on a  giant screen.

The behavior of the athletes, however, has been muted, and they were visibly on edge.

On Sunday the International Olympic Committee upheld its suspension of Russia as a team from the Games.