A battered Russia remains strong on Olympic stage in Rio

(Photo: The Associated Press)RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bruised and battered but still wearing a gold medal, the first Russian champion in Rio de Janeiro seemed to mirror his country's standing at the Olympics.

Despite eye and hand injuries that might have ruled out a lesser rival, Beslan Mudranov upset the reigning world champion in his judo final. The victory showed that Russia is set to remain a serious contender for medals in Rio, even though it lost some of its top athletes to a widespread doping scandal.

"For us, this medal means a lot because people were putting a lot of psychological pressure on us," Mudranov said. "A gold medal like this will really please our country."

Russia will field…