Russian athletes head to Beijing as international tension grows at home

Russia is heading to the Beijing Olympics against a backdrop of international tension, and not for the first time.

A build-up of Russian forces near neighboring Ukraine is causing concern in Washington and among the United States’ NATO allies in Europe.

Russia is sending 212 athletes to Beijing — one of the biggest delegations — 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 medalhauls to date.

Addressing athletes Tuesday by video, Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t touch on the tension with Ukraine but offered support to China over “the politicization of sports and demonstrative boycotts” in relation to the United States and another nations not sending diplomatic representatives to Beijing on human rights grounds.

Putin, who plans to attend the opening ceremony, also framed the upcoming Olympics as a test of Russian character.

“As you know, in Russia people aren’t afraid of difficulties,” Putin said. “They just make us even stronger, more united and self-confident. All of these qualities, I’m convinced, will be on full display in Beijing.”

The Olympics have coincided with tension in the region before. In 2014, Russia played host to the Winter Olympics in Sochi at the same time as protesters in Ukraine forced pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych from office. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine the following month.

The previous time Beijing staged the Olympics in 2008, Russian troops were fighting a brief war with another former Soviet neighbor, Georgia, about the status of breakaway regions.

Olympians have sometimes in the past used the Games to make gestures of peace. In 2008, Russian and Georgian shooters shared an embrace on the podium during a conflict.

This time, however, Ukraine has told its athletes it would frown on posing for photos with Russians in Beijing.

“All the athletes are informed, they know how to behave in situations like this,” Ukrainian Youth and Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait, a former Olympic champion in fencing, told public broadcaster Suspilne on Monday. “They shouldn’t stand together if there are athletes from Russia standing there with a flag.”

That was widely seen as a reference to Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh posing with Russian rival Mariya Lasitskene after they won bronze and gold, respectively, at the Tokyo Olympics.

The picture prompted criticism of Mahuchikh in Ukraine and a torrent of abusive comments online, particularly because she and Lasitskene both hold military ranks in their countries’ armedforces.

Technically, it won’t be Russia competing at the Beijing Olympics, but ROC (Russian Olympic Committee, whose flag will be used).

Russia’s name and flag are banned from the Olympics once again in the continuing fallout from the doping scandals which dominated the past decade of Russian sports.