Jan. 5, 2000 3:16 AM Reuters

MOSCOW, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Double men's world figure skating champion Alexei Yagudin says he regrets remarks he made during the Champions on Ice tour last summer when he was sent home for alleged excessive drinking.

"I should have kept my big mouth shut," Yagudin told Reuters over the New Year in his first interview since being kicked out from the U.S tour, disputing the official statement of tour promoter Tom Collins.

"At the dinner with Tom's son I was honest and admitted that I didn't come here to work but to have a good time," he said.

"Every skater comes to the tour to relax after a long season, but I was the only one to say that in public and the very next day I was sent home. I was only speaking my mind."

Yagudin, 19, admitted drinking at times, but not before his performances.

"I'm old enough to drink and in my spare time I can do whatever I want," he said. "But I never went on the ice drunk as some of you guys have reported."

He added: "I have also learned the hard way not to be too open with the press. If some of them want to portray me in a negative way, then no matter what, they will write things their way."

But the St Petersburg native, who now lives in the United States, was frank about his numerous romantic relationships, which have included Russian world champion rhythmic gymnast Yana Batyrshina and American skater Nicole Bobek.

"Well, I'm still only 19 and I have not settled with my personal life," he said. "It's a long process and I'm still searching, so it's OK to go and meet different people."

BIG SHOCK

Yagudin once before sent a big shock through the skating comminuty by changing coaches after he clinched his first world title in March 1998, jumping from his long-time mentor Alexei Mishin to renowned pairs coach Tatyana Tarasova.

He insisted, however, that the recent negative publicity played no role in his poor showing at last month's Russian championship, where he lost to 17-year-old Yevgeny Plyushchenko.

Plyushchenko earned three perfect 6.0 marks in the short programme and performed a near-perfect free skate to beat Yagudin, who finished a distant second after missing his first quad attempt.

"It (the loss) didn't bother me a bit," Yagudin said. "My goal was merely to finish in the top three to make the team. The most important thing for me is how well I will skate at the European and world championships, where it matters most."

After the competition, Yagudin described relations with his former understudy as "strained."