U.S. athletes warned not to wave flags

NEW YORK, May 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Olympic athletes have been warned not to wave American flags during the Summer Olympic Games in Athens for fear of a hostile reaction.

The Sunday Telegraph said U.S. Olympic officials have ordered their 550-member team to exercise restraint during the completion and the medal award ceremonies.

"American athletes find themselves in extraordinary circumstances in Athens in relation to the world as we know it right now," said Mike Moran, a former spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, retained as a consultant to advise athletes.

"Regardless of whether there is anti-American sentiment in Athens or not, the world watches Americans a lot now in terms of how they behave and our culture," he said.

Using the flag as a prop or a piece of apparel or indulging in boasting behavior is becoming part of our society in sports, but we are trying, for 17 days, to break that culture, said Moran.

"What I am telling the athletes is, 'Don't run over and grab a flag and take it round the track with you,'" Moran said. "If a Kenyan or a Russian grabs their national flag and runs round the track or holds it high over their heads, it might not be viewed as confrontational."