With the continuing deterioration of relationships between the fledging Ukrainian government and their Russian neighbours, the Winter Olympic committee has now waded in, dropping hints that the Ukrainian medals could be forfeit if the political situation is allowed to escalate.
Rumours are also being circulated that the medals may be recovered 'forceably with extreme prejudice' by the massed Russian Army Biathlon Regiments fortuitously located in their Winter training camps along the border.
In lighter post-Olympian news, it appears that many of the winning Canadian ice hockey team are, in fact, of Russian extraction, so the medal can be claimed by extension. A crack team of genealogists, working shifts around the clock and in no way revising history Soviet-Union-style, have identified the surnames Toews, Crosby and Kunitz all originate from the St. Petersburg area.
"It was a complete surprise to us, eventually" said their flustered spokesman, taking his cue from the ominously large men flanking him, "But it does reveal that our Glorious President was right all along"
When asked whether this principle could be extended to include the Canadian curling team, the increasingly nervous spokesman indicated that there are a number of Jakobs in the Greater Moscow area, but conceded that "The whole 'Buff Boys' thing was a little bit gay. Oh crap!"