President Vladimir Putin appeared to fall asleep during the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Friday... right when his neighbor's athletes were making their way into the National Stadium.

With the globe currently on tenterhooks watching 100,000 Russian troops surrounding the former Soviet republic amid U.S. and NATO provocation, it was perhaps only natural for the cameraman to chance a glance at the 10-year President to see if he was looking... but the only thing he appeared to be looking at was the backs of his eyelids.

He was fully alert and wide awake by the time the Russian athletes made their way in however... even though technically, they are not even officially representing his country. Russia is currently serving a four year ban from competing at the games, imposed by the International Olympic Committee in 2019 after they found the state had been secretly allowing and even supplying athletes with steroids.

Russian athletes taking part in the games must compete under a neutral flag, and are designated the "Russian Olympic Committee"... although that didn't stop them wearing the Russian white, blue and red flags on their clothing on Friday.