At Sardinian resort, Vladimir Putin shows his rakish side in denying reports of affair

Perhaps it was the setting _ one of Italy's most romantic resorts. Or the company _ standing next to Italy's famously flirtatious premier.

But the normally stern Vladimir Putin showed the world another side of his character Friday, laughing off questions about an extramarital affair with a champion gymnast. While Putin denied the rumors, he seemed to delight in projecting a new image to the world: ladies' man.

The news conference that followed meetings at Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi's lavish Sardinian villa started off with standard political fare: toasts to bilateral ties, talk of business deals.

Things took a racy turn when a Kremlin …