Olympic roundup

Angry Russia threatens to quit Games

SALT LAKE CITY -- Russia threatened Thursday to pull out of the Olympics and South Korea said it might boycott the Closing Ceremony over a string of decisions against their athletes.

The nations complained bitterly about favoritism, plunging the Olympics into controversy once again with three days to go.

Russian officials, upset over the disqualification of a cross-country skier and still smarting over the pairs skating controversy, threatened to go home and said they might not compete in the Athens Games if their concerns are not addressed.

South Korea was just as unhappy, and said it would pursue legal action to overturn a gold medal won Wednesday night by Apolo Anton Ohno when a judge ruled a Korean skater illegally blocked the American.

Shortly afterward, the International Skating Union rejected the Korean protest.

The Russian men's hockey team is scheduled to play the United States in the semifinals today, and a 30-kilometer women's cross-country event is Sunday.

"If decisions are not made and issues we raised not resolved, the Russian team will not play hockey, will not run 30 kilometers, will look very negatively on other factors," Russian Olympic Committee president Leonid Tyagachev said.

After meeting with Tyagachev, IOC president Jacques Rogge sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin to assure him the games were fair and that his nation's anger was understood.

"He knew President Putin was concerned and had expressed his own emotions," IOC director general Francois Carrard said. "President Rogge wrote to express sympathy, to say he has been in contact with the sports federation and that the decisions are absolutely correct."

Tyagachev said he told IOC president Jacques Rogge that his nation was "greatly unappreciated" in the Olympics.

He further cited what he said was a high number of Russian athletes picked for drug tests and an unspecified ruling by a goal judge in ice hockey.

As for the South Korean complaint, ISU spokesman Pierre Eymann said there is no provision in the short-track rule book for overturning a judgment call by the referee.

"It cannot be reviewed," he said.

"We can take various measures, including not participating during the closing ceremony," said Park Sung-in, head of South Korea's Olympic team.

IOC leadership met Thursday night to discuss the Russian and South Korean issues. "We're watching it very closely, checking with the federations seeking reassurance on their judges and trying to calm the various groups," IOC vice president Kevan Gosper said.

Rogge had spoken with the presidents of skating, skiing and hockey "and was reassured that their judges are acting in accordance with the rules," Gosper said.

The Russian threats came hours after one of the nation's top athletes, cross-country skier Larissa Lazutina, was disqualified from the 20-kilometer relay because of high levels of hemoglobin found in a prerace blood test.

Gosper said Rogge noted in his talks with the Russians that the Lazutina case "is a health issue" and that no duplicate golds would be awarded in that case.

"At the same time, we understand from the Russians that their people at home are very unhappy, as are the Koreans," Gosper said.

That unhappiness was evident when Tyagachev said there was a 24-hour window to address the situation, and that if Russia left Salt Lake City it probably would not compete in Athens in the next Summer Games.

"Once you leave, it is not easy to come back in," he said.

Later, Vitaly Smirnov, an IOC vice president from Russia, tempered Tyagachev's remarks, saying there was no ultimatum, "not 24 hours or 48 hours."

Tyagachev said that while Lazutina's hemoglobin count was just above the legal limit, she was not guilty of doping.

A urine test will determine whether her case will be considered a drug positive. Results were expected today; she was scheduled to compete in the 30-kilometer race.

Lazutina, who already has won two silvers at these Games, was hoping for a record-tying 10th medal, but her disqualification knocked four-time defending champion Russia out of Thursday's relay event.

The Ukrainian team also did not start the event because Valentina Shevchenko failed a blood test. Germany won the gold medal, Norway took the silver and Switzerland got the bronze.

WOMEN'S CURLING: The Americans came within a stone's throw of a medal -- but instead wound up with nothing.

The U.S. team lost 9-5 to Canada in the bronze-medal game. The Americans put up a strong fight against the 1998 gold medalists, closing within 7-5 in the eighth of 10 ends.

In the gold-medal game, Britain beat Switzerland 4-3.

SKIING: Finland's Samppa Lajunen, going for his third Nordic combined gold medal of the Winter Games, was the leader after Thursday's jumping portion of the sprint competition on the big hill at Olympic Park.

He will begin today's 7.5-kilometer cross-country race 15 seconds ahead of Ronny Ackermann of Germany. Lajunen's teammate, Jaakko Tallus, is third, 18 seconds back. Todd Lodwick is the top American in 12th, 56 seconds behind.

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