Cheering squads trained by the Beijing Etiquette Institute have been tasked with the job of showing Chinese spectators how to cheer properly, for athletes of all nations, during Olympic events. My new friend Walter, he of the grey wig, was one of those leaders. But sometimes, not even training can prevent these sports spectators from really getting into the game. Much of the Chinese audience at the women's singles semifinal tennis match couldn’t help but rip into a Russian rival whose lone, proud taunts everyone wished to silence.

Russia isn’t in favor with a lot of people here at the moment, and despite the fact that politics are not supposed to mix with the Olympics in theory, in reality they often do. If there is any nation with a bone to pick with Russia, it’s China. The two countries have a long history of hot and cold relations.

So, when one Russian spectator first starting yelling, “RUSSIA!” in the audience, the Chinese spectators became visibly peeved. The game was a critical one for the Chinese delegation, pitting Dinara Safina of Russia against Li Na, the Chinese tennis equivalent to 100m hurdler Liu Xiang. It must have been too much for them to watch a national hero have to struggle and have a loud-mouthed Russian to remind them that China might lose this one, too. So most Chinese yelled back, “BOOOOOOOOO!” There was a joviality to it, but without a doubt, it was a boo.

The Russian carried on, without fail yelling, “RUSSIA!” between almost every serve, and the Chinese replied “BOOOO” each time. It turned into its own little cheer routine. Finding a cheer leader to steer the Chinese crowd away would have been impossible and telling the Chinese to stop like suicide.

Although the Chinese government has put so much emphasis for its people on behaving in a “civilized” way in front of its foreign Olympic guests, they are only human, after all. Which is kind of nice to know. Behind the exterior of the perfect Chinese fan is a little bit of oomph. That oomph is the stuff of real cheerleaders.