With tensions high, Russia aims for Olympic gold in Beijing
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By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer
Russia is heading to the Beijing Olympics against a backdrop of international tension. A build-up of Russian forces on the border with neighboring Ukraine is causing concern in Washington and among the United States’ NATO allies in Europe. Russia is sending 212 athletes to Beijing despite still being under doping-related sanctions which bar its name and flag from being displayed in official Olympic settings. Russian officials are hoping for one of the country’s biggest Winter Olympic medal hauls to date. Vladimir Putin has framed the upcoming Olympics as a test of Russian character.