Russian figure skating champions Anton Sikharulidze and Yelena Berezhnaya have voiced their intention to sue US media companies for libel

In the wake of the scandal that erupted after Italian law enforcers detained an alleged mobster charged by the US over a scheme to fix two figure skating competitions at this year’s Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Russian figure skating champions Anton Sikharulidze and Yelena Berezhnaya have voiced their intention to sue US media companies for libel. On Friday the Russian skaters announced their intention to sue US television networks. The skaters denounced allegations spread by US media outlets that the gold medals had been awarded to the couple unlawfully as political provocation. According to Sikharulidze and Berezhnaya they have been insulted twice – first during the Salt Lake City games, when the skating results evolved into farce, and their victory was contested; and now, as TV companies use their photos in reports on Russian organized crime and Olympic fixing. Sikharulidze explained that while showing photos of the gold medalists, TV channels eagerly report about the Russian mob figure of Uzbek origin Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, alias Taivanchik (''the Taiwanese''), detained in Italy earlier this week. ''It seems to me that it is high time for Canadians and the entire North American fraternity to calm down and be happy with the fact that they have got a set of gold medals as a gift,'' Sikharulidze contended.