OAR hockey team sings banned Russian anthem after beating Germans for Olympic gold

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The Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) men's hockey team broke an IOC rule on the last day of the Winter Games.

After fighting off Germany for a 4-3 overtime win in the gold-medal game, the Russian athletes sang the Russian national anthem during the medal ceremony -- a violation of a rule that the IOC had set for the athletes for these Olympics. Russia was banned from the Games due to a 2014 doping scandal, but Russian athletes who had proven they were clean were allowed to compete under the neutral Olympic flag.

“Everyone knows we are not athletes of Russia — we are Russians,” Ilya Kovalchuk told Russian TV.

Russian defenseman Bogdan Kiselevich said players felt they had to do something.

“We sang because we’re Russian people and when you win, the anthem is played,” he said. “It was in our souls and hearts.”

Citing "freedom of speech," Kiselevich told reporters the players weren't worried about possibly being punished. He said singing the anthem came up as the players joined together to receive their medals.

"I think from the beginning we had this inkling inside each one of us and then, as we lined up, we said we will sing the anthem, and that's it," Kiselevich said.

The last time Russia won Olympic hockey gold was in 1992.

Contributing: Kevin Allen

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