Gymnasts Banned After Appearing in Porn Flick

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania banned three former Olympic medalists from refereeing and coaching in official events for five years after appearing in an adult movie in Japan, officials said Thursday.

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation (FRG) decision came the day after Romania's team escaped a Japanese Gymnastics Association ban from a contest in Yokohama next year as the trio were found to be no longer affiliated to their national association.

FRG head Nicolae Vieru said the athletes could use their own images but had no right to use the emblems of the national federation.

"Also the international reaction triggered our decision," he said.

Vieru said the three athletes would be allowed to coach privately.

Romanian dailies reported that Lavinia Milosovici, 26 who won the floor exercise and vault titles at the 1992 Barcelona Games and two other gymnasts had appeared in a nude picture book published in Japan and performed naked gym routines in a movie now available in DVD form.

The papers had said the Japanese gymnastics officials were offended by the nude appearance of the three even though they were all now retired from the sport.

The trio, which also includes 23-year-old Claudia Presecan, a gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and Corina Ungureanu have not denied appearing nude but claimed the pictures had been slightly doctored.

by Lia Haberman E! ONLINE

No need to place Winona Ryder under citizen's arrest. Those threads she's wearing are legit.

Despite being a target in infamous Ryder's sticky-fingered Saks spree, designer Marc Jacobs reportedly hopes to cast the Oscar-nominated actress in his spring 2003 campaign. It's the least he could do in exchange for all the free publicity.

Jacobs' trendy gear was among the items found in Ryder's grab bag when she was arrested for shoplifting from the tony Saks Fifth Avenue department store in Beverly Hills.

Store security guards nabbed Ryder red-handed last December, toting a fashion-savvy stash of hot goods, including a Marc Jacobs sweater valued at $760. Other designers deemed worthy of theft by the actress: Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Natori and Calvin Klein. The total haul came in at just under $6,000.

The Reality Bites star was found guilty last month of felony grand theft and vandalism and sentenced to community service, counseling and ordered to pay $10,000 in fines.

"Winona accepts responsibility for what happened on [the day of her arrest]," said a statement released by her publicist at that time. "She will fulfill her sentence as laid out by the judge."

That was good enough for Jacobs' camp. "We would like to use Winona. She's been a very good customers of ours," the label's president, Robert Duffy, told London's Sun. "Of course, it will be controversial, but not in a negative way. She has been wearing Marc Jacobs for years."

Even as she was found guilty, the tastefully attired actress, who made People magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People of 2002 list today, scored points with fashion critics for her courtroom wardrobe, which, yes, included Jacobs' signature duds.

Unlike many of her Tinseltown contemporaries, Ryder, 31, kept her high-priced bod well covered--nothing too short, too tight, too flashy or too revealing. During the trial she favored demure dresses paired with hair-taming headbands, a prim image that seemed to be a calculated attempt at maintaining her innocence.

It appears the disgraced actress will now get a second chance with the fashion community. She'll pose for fashion photog, Juergen Teller, for Jacobs' spring/summer 2003 ad campaign in Los Angeles next month, reports Women's Wear Daily.

Calls to Ryder and Jacobs' publicists were not returned.

Other notable faces who've modeled for Jacobs include actress turned director Sofia Coppola, supermodel Stephanie Seymour, rock progeny Lisa Marie Presley and Italian actress Asia Argento.