After watching the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang, it was interesting to see Russian athletes walk in after an Olympic flag rather than the Russian flag. While there are a variety of opinions on whether this was the best idea, I think that given the circumstances, it was a fair decision. Banning all Russian athletes from competing seems too harsh – the athletes that have been working intensely and honestly in hopes of gaining a medal at the Games should not be punished. However, to those that have been involved, the Olympics are only once every four years and not being able to participate is a huge blow to their athletic careers. In the Opening Ceremony, Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee also reiterated this notion of being fair competitors, as he alluded to the doping scandal. I hope that the athletes continue to compete honestly and I am excited to see all their hard work pay off.