SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked the IOC and the country filed another Winter Olympics protest as the worst political crisis to hit the Olympic movement since the Cold War deepened on Friday. 
The Russians, who have threatened to pull out of the Salt Lake Games saying they are victims of bad and biased officiating, launched an appeal against the judging in Thursday's women's figure skating. 
They demanded a gold medal for second-placed skater Irina Slutskaya. 
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge, who was due to hold another meeting with Russian Olympic chiefs on Friday, had been hoping that the Russians would calm down after some emotional outbursts on Thursday. 
But, speaking to reporters in the Kremlin, Putin said he agreed with complaints by Russian sports officials and politicians about the officiating and took a swipe at Rogge who was only elected to office last July in Moscow. 
"I fully agree and share this viewpoint. Not the last reason is the change of generations in the International Olympic Committee," Putin said. 
"(Former president) Juan Antonio Samaranch has gone and Jacques Rogge has taken his place. Regrettably for the new leadership, the first time is bound to be a flop." 
Russian spokesman Rudolf Nezvegsky told Reuters his team felt Slutskaya skated as well, if not better, than American gold medallist Sarah Hughes in the free program. 
Leonid Tygachev, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, said the Russian figure skating federation and the National Olympic Committee had sent a protest to the International Skating Union (ISU). 
"Maybe there should be a second gold medal because this is a real champion," Tygachev told Reuters television. "We have not got an answer yet but we will be having a meeting today with Jacques Rogge. 
"We were impressed by the American figure skaters...but two of them made small mistakes and, of course, Slutskaya was the best, better than the young American skater." 
FUMING RUSSIANS 
Russia, fuming over earlier decisions perceived to have gone against them at the Salt Lake City Games, gave 24 hours notice on Thursday of their intention to pull out of the Olympics if their concerns were not addressed. 
The Russians have filed a number of protests since the IOC and the ISU took the unprecedented step of awarding a second gold medal in the figure skating pairs competition to Canadian duo Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. 
The decision followed a public outcry and a four-day North American media campaign to overturn the original result in which Russian pair Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sukharulidze won the gold on a 5-4 split vote. A French judge was later suspended amid suggestions of vote rigging. 
The Russian team was set to play in Friday's ice hockey semifinal against the United States. A decision about their participation in the rest of the Games would be taken later. 
"We will play and try to win -- if the referees will do their job well," Tygachev said.