Russians give Olympic athletes a heroes' welcome home Russian fans give gold medal-winning athletes a heroes' welcome home at a Moscow airport following games overshadowed by the country's doping scandal. Russia's team competed as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" (OAR) and were unable to fly the national flag at the closing ceremony. The mood was buoyant as fans feted athletes including the men's ice hockey team, which won the country its first Olympic title in 26 years against Germany, and 15-year-old figure skating sensation Alina Zagitova, all decked in gold medals.