Sentence:  <WSD>Russia</WSD> knows this , and that is why there were over 800000 competing for places as candidates for the Olympic gymnastic team . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991