Viktor An
Viktor An (Russian: Виктор Ан; born Ahn Hyun-soo (Korean: 안현수) on November 23, 1985),[5] is a South Korean-born Russian short-track speed skating coach and retired short-track speed skater. With a total of eight Olympic medals, six gold and two bronze, he is the only short track speed skater in Olympic history to win gold in every distance, and the first to win a medal in every distance at a single Games.[6] He has the most Olympic gold medals in the sport, three of which he won in the 2006 Winter Olympics and the other three in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Considered to be the greatest short track speed skater of all time, he is a six-time overall World champion (2003-2007, 2014), two-time overall World Cup winner (2003–04, 2005–06), and the 2014 European champion. He holds the most overall titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, and is the only male short track skater to win five consecutive world titles.[7]
Viktor Ahn, 2016"aips2018_An" | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ahn Hyun-soo 안현수 |
| Born | November 23, 1985 Seoul, South Korea |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb)[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Woo Nari (m. 2014) |
| Sport | |
| Country | South Korea (until 2011) Russia (since 2011) |
| Sport | Short track speed skating |
| Retired | April 27, 2020 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| World finals | World Championship 2014 Overall 2007 Overall 2006 Overall 2005 Overall 2004 Overall 2003 Overall World Cup 2006 Overall 2004 Overall |
| Personal best(s) | 500 m: 39.961 (2019)[2] 1000 m: 1:23.487 (2013)[2] 1500 m: 2:10.639 (2003, Former WR)[2][3] 3000 m: 4:32.646 (2003, Former WR)[2][4] |
Medal record | |
| Victor An | |
| Hangul | 빅토르 안 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 빅토르 安 |
| Revised Romanization | Biktoreu An |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pikt'orŭ An |
| Ahn Hyun-soo | |
| Hangul | 안현수 |
| Hanja | 安賢洙 |
| Revised Romanization | An Hyeonsu |
| McCune–Reischauer | An Hyŏnsu |
In 2008, Ahn suffered a knee injury and could not regain his health by the time the national qualifiers for Vancouver 2010 came around. His recovery being slow and his South Korean local team dissolved in 2010,[8][9] Ahn, aiming for his second Olympics, became a Russian citizen the next year and began racing for the Russian team. After winning gold in Sochi, Ahn explained his reasons for joining the Russian team saying, "I wanted to train in the best possible environment and I proved my decision was not wrong." As expected, a gold-winning athlete leaving the national team caused public uproar in South Korea. However, it was aimed not at Ahn, but at the country's skating union. Most South Korean fans in a poll said they understood his decision.[10][11] Ahn continued his skating career in his adopted nation until 2019 and declared his retirement in April 2020.[8][12]
In 2023, Ahn returned to South Korea and applied to be a coach for Seongnam City's short track speed skating team, despite having renounced his South Korean citizenship when becoming Russian. However, since 2014 he had been increasingly criticized for his work in Russia amid the Russo-Ukrainian War and his coaching position in the Chinese team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He was criticized by the public for betraying his country by transferring Korean sports skills to Russia and China, and some Korean coaches issued statements about it. They criticized the controversy over "his remarks that he said they thought his dual citizenship was possible" during the naturalization process and the moral issue of the 'received an lump-sum payment Olympic medal pension' just before naturalization and opposed his return as South Korean sports leader.[13][14] Ahn was eventually denied the coaching position due to significant public opposition.[15]
Early life and education
Ahn began skating in 1993 in his first year of primary school. The first time he watched the sport on television was during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer where one of his heroes, Chae Ji-hoon, took gold in the 500 m and silver in the 1000 m for South Korea.[16] Incidentally, these were the Games where Russia achieved a national record of 11 Olympic golds, a feat that he himself would help to repeat twenty years later. His coach, Kim Ki-hoon, was a three-time Olympic gold medalist who scouted Ahn and continued to train him. He trained ten hours every day from techniques, speed, and endurance to video analysis.[16]
Career
2000s
Early career and the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ahn made his international debut at the World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships in 2002. Finishing first in the 1500 m, 1000 m, and 5000 m relay events, he claimed the overall title.
Ahn then participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He made the finals for the 1000 m event but returned home without a medal, after a controversial fall involving Apolo Ohno, Li Jiajun, and Mathieu Turcotte that allowed Australian Steve Bradbury to sweep the gold medal. Ahn finished in fourth place, behind Ohno and Turcotte.[1]
After the 2002 Olympics, Ahn finished second to Kim Dong-sung at his first senior-level world championship competition the same year, almost duplicating Kim's feat of winning both the Junior and Senior World Championship titles in 1997.
Ahn began dominating the sport from the 2002–2003 season. As well as claiming four overall and 1500 m World Championship titles in a row between 2003 and 2006, Ahn excelled himself at 1000 m and 3000 m during that period and also starred with the Republic of Korea's 5000 m relay team. In all, he won a total of 23 medals in that prolific spell, and took the 2004 and 2006 World Cup titles for good measure.[5] He also set the world records for the 1500 m in 2003 at World Cup #2 in Marquette[3] and the 3000 m at World Cup #4 in Beijing,[4] which he held for the following eight years.
faction and national team 'recommendation system'
South Korea has produced many outstanding short track speed skaters and is highly competitive in selecting the national team. Their key method of selecting players is to automatically select the best players in advance according to the comprehensive podium rankings of the World Championships. However, there is a system that has disappeared after much controversy and factional fight. It was the 'recommendation system'.[17]
South Korea's elite sports system was strictly a top-down relationship between leaders and athletes. and the factions were formed according to the leaders and the factions of the players were also determined by their universities and leaders.[18][19] And the players was disadvantaged if he disobeyed the instructions from the factional leader.[20][21] Viktor Ahn is one of these representative players.
Ahn graduated from Korea National Sport University. His leaders were Kim Ki-hoon, a three-time Olympic champion,[22] and Jeon Myung-kyu, former vice president of the Korea Skating Union who was also the head coach of the Korean short track speed skating team from 1987 to 2002.[23] Ahn won the all of the junior world championship and continued to perform well in domestic competitions as a junior, but did not participate in the national team trials. However, head coach decided to put the 16 year old Ahn on the national team instead of an injured player.[24][25] The 2002 Olympics was his Senior international debut. In addition to Ahn, many athletes and leaders were recommended by the Korea Skating Union. They were Chae Ji-hoon, Chun Lee-kyung, Kim So-hee,[26] Choi Min-kyung[27] Ko Gi-hyun, Lee Ho-suk, and Choi Eun-kyung,[28] and also included were Kim Dong-sung and Kim Sun-tae, who were injured and failed to participate in the national team trials.[29][30]
2002-2005, KNSU and Non-KNSU
Factional fight in south Korean ice skating was allegedly mentioned as a form of Korea National Sport University (KNSU) and non-Korea National Sport University. But it was far more complicated inside. The power struggle of first-generation ice skating leaders, which started in the 1990s,[31][32] changed form and influenced leaders, their direct disciples and athletes and changed their relationship.[18][19] In 2002, when Ahn became a member of the national team, it was the time when Korean society was noisy due to the corruption of the ice skating world. Athletes and parents, who were University entrance students, gave money to professors who were influential in the ice skating world, and the professor received it. And the person who reported the case and accused his senior of corruption is Jeon Myung Kyu who becomes professor at the Korea National Sport University.[33][34] In June 2003, Ahn decided to enter the Korea National Sport University in spite of exceptional conditions, including the guarantee of professor posts in other universities.[35] The recommendation system that selected him for the national team in 2002 was a system that existed before Ahn became the national team, but in the process, Ahn was classified as the representative face of Korea National Sport University and Professor Jeon. And those on the other side accused 16-year-old Ahn of being responsible for factional conflicts in Korea's skating world.[24][25]
In 2003-2004, when Ahn's heyday began, conflicts in the ice skating world and the tyranny of leaders were serious. In the national team Jeon Myung-kyu stepped down from his post due to poor performance at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, and Olympic medalists Kim Ki-hoon took over the men's national team,[36] but in 2004, Kim was forced to resign due to the controversy over forcing his athletes to wear skates made by the family-run skating company.[37] In November 2004, Choi Eun-kyung, Byun Chun-sa etc six womens team members left the athletes' village due to the coach's habitual beating scandal.[38] The coaches for the women's team have all been replaced.[39][40] Two months later, Ahn was assaulted at the Winter Universiade in January 2005. The mens team coach Yoon had to resign after the World Team Championships in March due to controversy over match-fixing and assault allegations raised at the time.[41] Kim Ki-hoon was reelected coach of the men's team for the Turin 2006 Olympics instead of Yoon Jae-Myung. However, in April 2005, seven other non-Korea National Sport University athletes, with the exception of Ahn Hyun-soo, declined to enter the athletes' village. They insisted, The main person is fixed. We can't trust a coach who favours a specific player. At the end of the day, Kim Ki-hoon resigns, saying, "I can't teach these players anymore." [42] Kim Ki-hoon was professor Jeon's direct disciple. Kim is known to have passed on special know-how skating skills to Ahn.[24]
Kim Ki-hoon mentioned in an interview in 2018: "Ahn hyun-soo was really outstanding. Teach him one thing and he really absorbs it in like a sponge. Ahn was not the only one to teach more. I coached everyone on the national team, but Ahn came to see me more often." [43]
2005, Conflict with Korea Skating Union
Ahn was reported to be the victim of senior player Seo Ho-jin's assault at the 2005 Winter Universiade. Though Seo was expelled from the national team and Yoon Jae-myung, head coach for the event, was dismissed on charges of match-fixing,[41] Seo returned to the national team for the 2006 Winter Olympics the next year.
Ahn refused to join the national team and take training in 2005 and also confronted with the leaders of the Korea Skating Union. In July 2005, parents and coaches, including Ahn and Choi Eun-kyung, Sung Si-bak held a press conference and exposed coach Yoon Jae-myung's Aiding and abetting assault. It also called for the resignation of all federation leaders and announced its absence from the 2006 Turin Olympics.[44][45] As a result, coach Yoon's appointment has been canceled. However, the conflict at that time was at its peak. In the end, this incident resulted in Ahn training alone in the women's team, not the men's.[46]
The issue came back to the fore after Ahn's victory as a Russian in the 2014 Winter Olympics, as the South Korean public questioned the Korea Skating Union of losing their biggest Olympic star. Regarding the uproar against him, Seo argued that the incident was just a form of discipline from senior to junior,[47] but Ahn revealed in 2015 that he and his junior were hit with helmets on.[48]
2006 Winter Olympics
At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Ahn won gold medals in the 1500 m and 1000 m events. He set a new Olympic record time of 1:26.739 in the 1000 m, finishing ahead of teammate Lee Ho-suk and rival Ohno. Ahn also won gold in men's 5000 m relay along with teammates Lee Ho-suk, Seo Ho-jin, and Song Suk-woo. With his patented outside overtaking maneuver, he overtook defending champion Canada to get his third gold medal of the Games.[49][50] Ahn became the second South Korean athlete ever to win three gold medals in one Olympics, following Jin Sun-yu who had accomplished this earlier on the same day. He also won a bronze medal in the 500 m event.[1] Ahn was the only athlete in Turin to step on to the podium four times.[6]
Ahn became the first short track speed skater to win a medal in every distance at a single Games, a feat unprecedented by any athlete in his sport. He is the first South Korean man to win at least 3 medals in a single Winter Olympics.[6][51]
Following the 2006 Olympics, Ahn maintained his record at the 2006 World Championships in Minneapolis. Despite being disqualified in the finals of the 500 m and 3000 m events, his victories in both the 1000 m and 1500 m events helped him defend his title with 68 points, followed by countryman Lee Ho-suk with 60 points. He became the first male short track skater to win four consecutive world titles.[52][53]
After Torino
After the 2006 World Championships, Ahn flew back to South Korea. At Incheon International Airport, Ahn's father had a loud quarrel with the vice president of the Korea Skating Union (KSU), claiming that the coach did not associate with Ahn and conspired with other skaters to prevent Ahn from winning the title of overall champion.[54][55]
Ahn collided with Lee Ho-suk and Oh Se-jong in the World Championship 3000m Super Final. The airport incident, which was reported on news screens, caused a stir in the media and the public along with factional issues. as a result, the Korea Skating Union said it would hold a committee meeting to consider disciplinary action. On April 26, 2006, the reward and punishment committee concluded that "it was not an intentional collision after playing the videos more than 100 times," and that Ahn Hyun-soo, Lee Ho-suk, and Oh Se-jong were all unintentional.[56][57]
The South Korean short track team was split into two groups, in one of which Ahn was being coached by the women's coach Park Sae-woo due to conflicts with the men's coach Song Jae-kun. even though Ahn was the main player winning the gold medal in the Turin Olympics 5000m relay, the men's team members held a ceremony to their mentor commentator Lee Joon-ho, excluding only Ahn Hyun-soo. The tensions had risen so high that the skaters refused to dine in the same room, sit next to each other on the plane, or even share the same floor with each other. Ahn and Lee Ho-suk used to attend the same high school together, and even shared a room the previous year in skating camps, but due to the conflict they had begun to rarely speak to each other.[58][59] Ahn mentioned on his personal website that the pressure was too much for him and he contemplated quitting the sport. Due to the issue, KSU stated that starting next season, the team would be united under one head coach to prevent deleterious rivalries.[55]
In spite of the conflicts, Ahn continued to dominate the sport. At the 2007 World Championships held in Milan, Ahn won his fifth world championship, finishing first in the 1000 m and in the 5000 m relay with teammates Sung Si-bak, Song Kyung-taek, and Kim Hyun-kon. He also won silver in the 3000 m behind Song, and won two bronze medals in the 500 m and the 1500 m. With this victory, Ahn became the first man to win five consecutive world championships.[60] Ahn is the only male short track skater to have won at least three consecutive world championships; Canadian short track legend Marc Gagnon has won four times, but his titles did not come back to back.
Injury in early 2008
On January 16, 2008, the Korea Skating Union (KSU) reported that Ahn had injured his knee after colliding with a fence during national team training at the Korea Training Center in Taeneung. The skate blade got stuck on the ice then the Ahn fell and bumped his knee on the fence.[61] The fence, placed to absorb the shock, froze hard like a rock, causing serious injury rather than absorbing the impact. After being sent to the hospital, the injury was diagnosed as a fractured knee.[62][63]
Due to the injury, KSU announced that Ahn would not be competing in the ISU Samsung World Cup Series #5 and #6 in Quebec City and Salt Lake City, respectively. It was also reported that he would not be competing in the 2008 World Championships in Gangneung or the 2008 World Team Championships in Harbin, China. As a result of the unexpected injury, it was clear that Ahn would be unable to defend his sixth World title, leaving his countrymen Lee Ho-suk, Song Kyung-taek, and Lee Seung-hoon to make up the ground. After undergoing three surgeries, his rehabilitation period was predicted to be around 2–3 months.[64]
After eight months off the ice, a South Korean news article reported on September 5, 2008, that Ahn was back training, undergoing approximately two hours of physical reinforcement and skating along with around five hours of rehabilitation accompanied by muscular power training. The article also reported that Ahn was eyeing the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.[65]
However, his recovery from the injury was much slower than initially expected, and he had to undergo four surgeries in 15 months. [66][5]
In 2009, Ahn finished seventh overall at the Korean national team trials, which was not enough for him to qualify for the Olympic team. Not having fully recovered from his injury, he again was unable to qualify for the national team in the following season.
In 2010-2011, Ahn served as a commentator for SBS Sports on the season's World Cup series and World Championships.[67]
2010s
2010, Conflict with Korea Skating Union
In March 2010, Ahn's father, Ahn Ki-Won, revealed that Lee Jung-su forfeited the individual competition at the world championships because of external pressure, not injury.[68][69] Athletes traded the rights to participate in the Olympics and the World Championships under the instructions of the coaches, and each other helped the Olympic national team trials. This incident had a huge impact. The players involved and the Vancouver Olympic coaches have all been disciplined.[70][71] The leaders of the Korea Skating Union were all forced to resign.[72]
Ahn became a whistleblower who informed the South Korean society of the dark side of Korean shorttrack speed skating of factional fight and match-fixing regardless of his will.[68] And it took a toll on him, officially or informally. The selection of the national team was suddenly postponed, and Ahn Hyun-soo, overlapped with the four-week basic military training period,[73] disrupted his own training plan.[69][74] Suspicions have also been raised that he missed an Olympic opportunity by disobeying the factional leader's words.[20][75] Noise and controversy continued around him regarding factional issues and the way the national team was selected.[76]
And his team Seongnam City declared a moratorium in July 2010 and decided to dismantle the ice skating team in December 2010. But there was not a team to scouted Ahn Hyun-soo.[9][77]
Naturalization to Russia
Ahn last competed as a South Korean citizen at the national team trials in April 2011, where he took gold in the 500 m.[78] Prior to the trials, his local team Seongnam City Hall dissolved due to financial reasons, and therefore Ahn had to train by himself.[9] After the trials, Ahn announced that he will be moving to Russia because he wanted to skate in an environment where he could concentrate in skating, apart from the issues surrounding him.[79]
He moved to Russia on June 2011 and decided to naturalize on July. On December 28, 2011, he was officially granted a Russian nationality by President Dmitry Medvedev. His Korean nationality was automatically extinguished by the South Korean nationality law, which does not allow dual nationality.[53] Since then, South Korean media has reported that he received the full Olympic medal pension in July 2011, and decided to naturalized to Russia in August. Based on this, when the Korea skating coach union pointed out "pension receipt" due to "morality" issues in the process of hiring Seongnam City coach in 2023, Viktor Ahn said he decided on everything in July 2011 and donated the entire pension just before Russian naturalization for the first time in 12 years.[80][81]
In 2015 MBC documentary, Ahn said. : Just before naturalization of Russia, there was a pressure from an official of the Korea Skating Union to the Russian Skating Union, saying, "This athlete is a problematic player in Korea and should never be accepted."[82][59]
2011, Conflict with the South Korean coaches
South Korean coaches and staff were already in Russia before Ahn decided to go to Russia. But in October 2011, the Russian Skating Union fired everyone, leaving Viktor Ahn alone. According to South Korean media reports at the time, 'internal conflicts between leaders', 'South Korean experts never notified Russian coaches how to prepare skating equipment accordingly in shorttrack speed skating', 'compulsory training ' and 'corporal punishment on athletes' were the reasons for the dismissal.[83][84]
At that time, however, there were rumors in South Korea that Ahn was reluctant to undergo Korean-style training again.[85] After this incident, coach Hwang Ik-hwan and Ahn’s wife Woo Nari, who were coaches of his team for Seongnam City just before his naturalization, were invited to Russia for Viktor Ahn's rehabilitation and psychotherapy.[86][87]
Heading to Sochi
Ahn participated in the Russian national team trials for the 2011–2012 season and was selected as a relay member for the season. He made his debut as a Russian short track speed skater at World Cup #5 in Moscow.[88]
In the national trials for the 2012–2013 season, Ahn won the 1000 m and 3000 m events,[89] successfully pulling off to the national team. At World Cup #1 in Calgary, he won his first individual gold in the international stage since his knee injury four years ago.[90] He also contributed to Russia's first-ever relay gold at World Cup #5 in Sochi, making an inside pass that reminded of performances in his heyday.[91]
Ahn came through the Olympic season with flying colors, finishing second in the overall World Cup rankings and winning four golds at the 2014 European Championships. While his knee injury did not allow him to top the 1500 m races that he had dominated when representing Korea, his experience, technique, and exclusive training on the 500 m helped Ahn lead the distance in the World Cup rankings.[92]
2014 Winter Olympics
At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Ahn won the bronze medal in the 1500 m event, which was the first short track speed skating medal that Russia had ever earned.[93] Ahn then won the first Russian gold medal in short track, winning the 1000 m event by leading the first Russian 1–2 finish in short track with Vladimir Grigorev.[94] On February 21, Ahn won his seventh overall and fifth Winter Olympic gold medal when he finished first in the 500 m men's final.[95] With that gold medal, he became the first short track skater to win all four Olympic golds, the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, and 5000 m relay. He also became the short track speed skater with the most Olympic gold medals, with five, which increased to six with a 5000 m relay win later the same day.[96] With that gold, he became the short tracker with the most Olympic medals, at eight, tied with Apolo Ohno; he also became the short tracker with the most Olympic gold medals, at six.[97]
After his victory, Koreans came to an uproar questioning the Korea Skating Union of the reason for Ahn's naturalization, which eventually caused Korean President Park Geun-hye to order an investigation on the issue.[10] Contrary to the public opinion in Korea, Ahn contended that he did not move to Russia because of factionalism.[98] He also added that his father, who had argued Ahn was the victim of faction fight in Korea, was contradicting him, and going to the Olympics was the sole reason why he made the difficult decision to come to Russia. Ahn expressed his concern that though his relationship with the Korean athletes had no problems, the press was making them awkward.[99][100][101]
After Sochi
In the 2014 World Championships held a month after the Olympics, Ahn won the 1000 m and finished third in the 3000 m, grabbing his sixth world title by 63 points. He became the only man to win six world championships in the sport.
After his prolific season, Ahn continued his skating career despite a part-move into coaching.[102][11][103] He missed the 2015–2016 season due to knee problems and his wife's pregnancy.[5][104][105] In an interview after the 2016 World Championships, which he did not take part in but did watch, he told the press that doctors have warned him undergoing extra surgery would jeopardize his career, and thus he is working on adding muscles to relieve the pain.[106]
Ahn continued to win medals at the World and European championships for Russia. He won bronze in the 500 m and silver in the 5000 m relay at the 2017 European Championships, and won silver in the 500 m race at the 2018 European Championships. Although Ahn had planned to retire after participating the 2018 Winter Olympics in his native South Korea,[106] he missed out the Olympics in the wake of the alleged sports doping in Russia.[59] The IOC did not disclose the specific reasons for banning Ahn, only mentioning "lingering suspicions" about doping use regarding the country. Ahn, who had never tested positive for drugs, challenged the decision writing an open letter to IOC President Thomas Bach,[107] but he was not answered.
Retirement
Ahn decided to retire from the sport and return to his home country of South Korea after rejecting an offer to coach the Russian team in September 2018.[108][109][54]
After stepping off ice, Ahn starred in the South Korean variety-reality show Real Man 300.[110][111] He was also noticed working as a player-coach at Korea National Sports University.[112]
In February 2019, Ahn reversed his decision, announcing that he wanted to compete as an athlete.[113][114] Aged 33, he won silver in the 500 m and 1000 m races respectively at the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Salt Lake City and Shanghai before anchoring Russia to gold in the mixed gender 2,000 m relay and men's 5,000 m relay.[5][11]
In April 2020, Ahn revealed that knee problems were affecting his ability to train and that it was time for him to finally finish his skating career.[8][115] In his retirement statement, he announced he will continue to work for the sport.[116][117]
2020s
2022 Winter Olympics
In 2018, Ahn was offered a coaching position for China's national speed skating team by Wang Meng, who had been Ahn's acquaintance since 2002. Although Ahn declined the offer in 2018, he accepted the offer in late 2019.[12]
As the top assistant of Kim Sun-tae, head coach for China's short track team in the 2022 Winter Olympics and previous head coach for Korea's short track team in the 2018 Winter Olympics, Ahn helped Chinese players win two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal in Beijing.[118][119] His training style was to skate with the athletes throughout the sessions, so that they could naturally learn how to make steps.[120]
When Korean skaters were disqualified during the men's 1000 m semifinals, arousing short track speed skating controversies, South Korean netizens directed anger and criticism towards Ahn, who was seen congratulating his team for winning gold in the 2000 m mixed relay.[121][122]
In addition, some Korean media and the public have remarked that he received an Olympic medal pension ('sports pension') just prior to his naturalization in Russia.[123] Regarding the Olympic medal pension, he has already been confirmed to have received the most 'sports pension' among South Korean sports athletes through a parliamentary audit by the South Korean National Assembly in October 2012. During his career, he received a pension of more than 370 million won from the state.[124]
"The receipt of the Olympic medal pension" has been raised since his naturalization, but it has not been much controversy. However, in 2021, his junior Lin Xiaojun (Lim Hyo-jun), an Olympic gold medalist, was known to have decided to naturalize to China, and major South Korean media compared Lin XiaoJun, who was naturalized to China over the repeated naturalization of Korean ace athletes to other countries and pensions for the first time in 10 years.[125] And anti-Chinese sentiment during the 2022 Beijing Olympics has raised criticism over his receipt of the Olympic medal pension.
Not responding to interview requests during the Games, Ahn shared his thoughts on the issue in March in an interview with the Korean press by saying, "I kept a stiff upper lip because I didn't want to be an irresponsible person. Due to the nature of the sport, judgment problems can occur at any time. All players come to the game with the mindset that they should be careful about decision issues, but the unexpected often happens on ice." Regarding the accusations that were poured on not only him but also his family, Ahn said, "It suddenly occurred to me that if I gave up short track speed skating, this controversy would end," adding, "I thought I had been supported for my passion and games, but it was heartbreaking to see unexpected things lead to criticism." He yet stated that despite the adversities, he won't be leaving the sport.[120][76]
After the Olympics, Ahn rejected a four-year coaching position and returned to Korea, having not met his family for 19 months due to Covid-19 situations.[76]
Failure to return to South Korea for coaching
In 2023, Ahn returned to South Korea and applied to be a coach for Seongnam City's short track speed skating team. However, he is under huge criticism from the South Korean short track speed skating coaches as he has helped South Korean rival China to gain medals during the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Korea skating coach union urged "Seongnam City to appoint a coach that meets the public eye level" and criticized Ahn that he "lied during the naturalization process and betrayed his country", avoiding the fact that Ahn was mistreated by the Korean skating federation after his injuries.[13][14] In late January, Seongnam City's short track speed skating team announced that no one is qualified to be a coach, meaning that Ahn is unlikely to be coach for his homeland. since then, the Korea skating coach union has been known as a close aide to a specific candidate, and suspicions have been raised that the disciplinary history of a specific candidate has not been raised.[126][127] In response, Three-time Olympic champion Choi Min-jeong released a joint statement on social media asking for a "fair and transparent" process, as she believed that the recruitment should not be "swayed by any outside influence" and it is important to "bring in the most competent candidate who can communicate with us".[128]
After Seongnam City has since announced that there are no successful candidates.[129] As a result, some South Korean media outlets suggested that there was a factional power struggle and political involvement in the ice skating world.[130][131]
Following South Korea's rejection of Viktor Ahn, through TASS, Russian Skating Union president expressed that they would like to appoint Ahn.[128][132] In 2022, Russia invited Viktor Ahn to become an advisor to the Skating Union, but he refused due to objections by Ahn's wife.[133][134] While Russia sports media outlet Sport Express urged Ahn to return to Russia as a leader.[135][136]
On February 7, Viktor Ahn expressed his position on the controversy over Russian naturalization on his social network service (SNS) after "received a lump-sum payment of the athletes' pension," which the Korea skating coach union pointed out as a moral issue.[80][127] At first, he thought dual citizenship was possible. However, when he found out that he had to give up his Korean nationality, he decided that it was right to return the Olympic medal pension he received. And before naturalization in Russia, he made a full donation to "children in need of heart surgery and junior athletes in need of rehabilitation and treatment." Since then, some of the pensions have been delivered to the family of Noh Jin-kyu, his junior athlete at the Korean National Sport University, according to a South Korean ice skating official.[127][81] Ahn then said that he would humbly accept the criticism of choosing naturalization for any reason, but he said he would raise speak out when there is misunderstanding.[80][127]
On February 9, The Hankyoreh pointed out Seongnam City's negligence in administration in that Ahn's coaching support was exposed in advance in connection with the recruitment of the ice skating team at Seongnam City. While the Korea Skating Coaches Union pointed out that it was not the opinion of the Korean ice skating leaders as a whole, and that it was a serious problem for the media to report the opinions of certain unofficial organizations as the opinions of the entire leaders.[137]
South Korean leadership activities
On April 13, 2023, South Korean media reported as follows. Viktor Ahn will participate as a coach for multiple skaters in the 2023-24 season for the South Korean national team trials. He personally coached young skaters at the Korea National Sport University after the 2022 Beijing Olympics.[138] Among them, seven players from high school and Korea National Sport University wrote him as a leader on the application form for participation in the national team trials.[139][140] This is Ahn's first official South Korean leadership acitivity.[138]
Conflict with mentor
his issue that has been consistently mentioned due to Ahn's choice of naturalization in Russia is the issues of conflict with his mentor, Jeon Myung-kyu, vice president of the Korea Skating Union. According to Korean medias, Professor Jeon was the planner of all Ahn's career paths. However, Ahn disobeyed the professor Jeon's words.[99][25]
In 2014, his father and Lee Joon-ho, who was the former coach of the national team, said the following. : "Ahn, was set to graduate from Korea National Sport University in 2007. Ahn chose the Seongnam City Hall Short track team that Professor Jeon did not want, and the relationship between Professor Jeon and Ahn was estranged".[99][63] During the Olympics, Jang Myung-hee, former president of the Korea Skating Union, also said that Vice-President Jeon Myung-kyu had abused his authority, and Ahn was disadvantaged.[21] In fact, the conflict with factional leaders was also mentioned by the South Korean media in 2010.[20][75] In March 2014, Professor Jeon stepped down as vice-president of the Korean Skaters Union.[141] However, in 2014, Ahn and the Korea Skating Union denied any conflicts or factional issues.[99][100]
The assault of the women's short track team coach during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and the athletes' discord over women's speed skating factions raised the issue of the responsibility of Samsung, which had sponsored the Korea Skating Union and the Korea Skating Union. The Korea Skating Union was investigated by the government, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.[23][142] Viktor Ahn and Professor Jeon have returned to the agenda.[143][144] However, in February 2018, Viktor Ahn sent a text message to South Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Member of parliament Ahn Min-seok. Ahn Min-seok said that Ahn hyun-soo has a good relationship with Professor Jeon Myung-kyu, and released it to the South Korean media.[142][145]
In March 2022, Viktor Ahn said Yonhap News Agency in an interview that he had never been disadvantaged by the Korean Skating Union.[76]
Style
- "Ahn is a master of short track speed skating, particularly in controlling the track during competition." - Wu Dajing[59]
- "In terms of his racing strategy, when he's following the other skaters, he's not really just following. He's always waiting for that perfect chance to pass." - Chae Ji-hoon[146]
- "Viktor Ahn, as he's now called, is the most beautiful short track skating athlete in the world in terms of his technique and the way he skates." "If there is any athlete that is designed for short track, body-type wise, it is him," "If you watch him stand and jog, his pelvic is tilted forward naturally, which is perfect for a skater. He has incredible technique, tons of experience." - Apolo Anton Ohno[147][148]
Awards and honors
Representing Korea Ahn was awarded the Outstanding Player Award at the Sports Chosun Coca-Cola Sports Awards in January 2006.[149] After his victory in Torino, he was selected as Player of the Month by the American Sports Academy.[150] He was also named as honorary ambassador for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics bidding committee with Jin Sun-yu.[151]
In 2008, Ahn was selected as the Most Valuable Player with Lee Kyou-hyuk and Yuna Kim by the Korea Skating Union.[152] In the same year, he also received the Men's Team Award at the Asian Sports Awards.[153] with Lee Ho-seok, Song Suk-woo, Oh Se-jong, and Seo Ho-jin.
Ahn was chosen as the ambassador for the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation in 2009.[154]
Representing Russia In March 2013, Ahn was named as Merited Master of Sport by the Russian Federation.[155][156]
After his feat in Sochi, Ahn was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" from Russian President Vladimir Putin[157] and the Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms"".[158][156] He was also selected Most Valuable Player in the Sochi Winter Olympics by NBC,[159][160] and 2014 Athlete of the Year by the Russian edition of 'GQ' magazine.[161][5] In light of his status as a South Korean-born Russian, Ahn was further named as honorary ambassador for the 2014-2015 Korea-Russia Year of Mutual Visit in 2014.[162]
In 2016, Ahn received the Proud Alumnus Award at his alma mater.[163][164] He was also inducted into the Korea National Sports University Ice Rink Hall of Fame as the 2006 Winter Olympics champion and the Sochi Walk of Fame as the 2014 Winter Olympics champion.[165][166]
Personal life
Ahn is married to Woo Nari (Korean: 우나리), a Korean born in 1983.[167][168] Nari was a member of Ahn's fan club. Ahn said that her presence and care helped him adapt to Russia.[169][170] Their daughter was born in December 2015.[171][172] But his wife, Woo Nari, couldn't endure the life in Russia and missed South Korea, so eventually left Russia. The Russian media reported that his wife wanted to raise their daughter in South Korea, and Viktor Ahn's choice to go to South Korea was influenced by his wife.[128][132]
Ahn's younger brother is speed skater Ahn Hyun-Jun. He made the Korean national speed skating team for the 2022–23 season.[173] The younger Ahn switched from short track to speed skating in 2021.[174]
Russian citizenship
Ahn trained in Russia and received Russian citizenship to compete for Russia in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Ahn's father stated that the decision was due to lack of support from the South Korean skating association.[175] Prior to moving to Russia, Ahn did not know the Russian language and had no familial ties to Russia. He had considered competing for the United States, but found that the process for gaining Russian citizenship was much easier. He chose "Viktor" as his Russian name as it derived from Victory,[176] and to pay tribute to Viktor Tsoi, a Soviet rock star of ethnic Korean descent.[177][53]
In South Korea, fury erupted over the loss of Ahn to Team Russia, after his participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Several newspapers reported the scorn of the South Korean public and newspaper editors on the actions of the skating federation. Right after the Olympics, the Minister of Sports and President Park Geun-hye of South Korea both promised action in rooting out corruption and feuding at the organization that may have led to Ahn's "defection", in a bid to clean it up in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. In September 2018, Ahn announced his retirement from short track and moved back to South Korea.[178] The South Korean public was generally supportive of Ahn in early 2014,[177][179] but he also received online bashing amidst controversies at Sochi and in later years.[180][181] In 2023, Ahn sought a coaching position in South Korea, despite having renounced his South Korean citizenship when becoming Russian. He was denied that position due to significant public opposition.[15]
Notes
He can restore his South Korean nationality under the South Korean nationality law[a].[182] In 2003, at the age of 17, he was exempted from military service by winning three gold medals at the Asian Games and finished his four-weeks of basic military training in 2010. For sports personnels who are exempted from active duty are recognized to have completed 34 months of military service if they have spent time as atheletes in their field.[183] In September 2018, A South Korean Ministry of National Defense official said in an interview with South Korean media. "Ahn hyun-soo has already completed his military service".[183]
But if Ahn gets his South Korean citizenship back, he has to renounce his Russian citizenship.[182]
- ^ South Korean nationality law Article 9 (Acquisition of Nationality through Reinstatement of Nationality)
(1) A foreigner who was a national of the Republic of Korea may acquire the nationality of the Republic of Korea through obtaining permission of reinstatement of nationality by the Minister of Justice. (2) The Minister of Justice shall not allow the reinstatement of nationality to a person who falls under any of the following subparagraphs, after screening such person who has applied for the reinstatement of nationality.
1. A person who has inflicted harm on the State or society; 2. A person whose conduct is disorderly; 3. A person who lost or renounced his/her nationality of the Republic of Korea in order to evade military service; 4. A person for whom the Minister of Justice regards the reinstatement of his/her nationality as inappropriate, for the purposes of national security, sustainment of order or public welfare.
In the media
In the 2010–2011 season, Ahn served as a short track commentator for SBS Sports. He covered the World Cup series (#3~#6) and the World Championships.[184][185]
From 2014 to 2016, he guest-starred in three episodes of Russia's late-night talk show Evening Urgant (episodes S3.E90, S4.E104, S5.E157).[186]
From 2017 to 2018, Ahn guest-starred in the South Korean variety-reality show The Return of Superman (episodes 202~204, 237, 241) with his daughter.[187]
In 2018, he starred in the South Korean variety-reality show Real Man 300 (episodes 1~15, 18).[110][188]
Other television appearances of Ahn are as follows:
- Han Su-jin's Sunday Click (South Korean talk show) - with Jin Sun-yu (episode 49) [189]
- Human Docu Love (South Korean documentary) - with wife Woo Nari (episodes 44, 45) [190][191]
- Live Talk Show Taxi (South Korean talk show) - with wife Woo Nari (episode 488)[192]
Detailed results
Olympics results
| Competition Location | Date | Rank | Event | Record | Notes | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Winter Olympics[a] Salt Lake Ice Center | 13-23 February 2002 | 13 | 1500 m | 2:23,287 min[193] | DSQ[b] | |
| 4 | 1000 m | 1:32,519 min[194] | [195] | |||
| - | 500 m | - | DNS | |||
| - | 5000 m relay | DSQ | DNS | |||
| 2006 Winter Olympics Torino Palavela | February 13, 2006 | 1 | 1500 m | 2:25,341 min[196] | [197][198] | |
| February 19, 2006 | 1 | 1000 m | 1:26,739 min[49] | Former, (OR) | [199] | |
| February 25, 2006 | 3 | 500 m | 42,089 s[200] | |||
| February 25, 2006 | 1 | 5000 m relay | 6:43,376 min[50] | Former, (OR) | [201] | |
| 2014 Winter Olympics Iceberg Skating Palace | February 10, 2014 | 3 | 1500 m | 2:15,062 min[202] | ||
| February 15, 2014 | 1 | 1000 m | 1:25,325 min[203] | [204] | ||
| February 21, 2014 | 1 | 500 m | 41,312 s[205] | [206][207] | ||
| February 21, 2014 | 1 | 5000 m relay | 6:42,100 min[208] | Former, (OR) | [209][210] |
World Championships
Six-time Overall world champion. 20 world titles. 18 gold medals.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | podiums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 6 x | 1 x | 7 | |
| 500m | 1 x | 2 x | 3 | |
| 1000m | 4 x | 3 x | 7 | |
| 1500m | 4 x | 1 x | 5 | |
| 3 000 m[a] | (2) | (3) | (2) | (7) |
| distances | 14 x | 5 x | 3 x | 22 (29) |
| relay | 4 x | 2 x | 6 | |
| Total | 18 (20) | 7 (10) | 3 (5) | 28 (35) |
- ^ super-final involving eight competitors with highest points after completion of other distances. 2002 (2nd), 2003 (1st), 2004 (1st), 2005 (2nd), 2006 (DSQ), 2007 (2nd), 2013 (7th), 2014 (3rd), 2017 (3rd). The 3000m Super Final is not awarded a medal, but the ranking and record are recognized.
Overall and individual distances, podiums
| No. | Date | Competition Location | Overall | Rank | Points | Event | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5-7 April 2002 | 2002 Montreal[211] | 2 (42 points) | 2 | 21 | 1000m | 1:31,435 min |
| 2 | 21 | 3000m | 5:19,170 min | ||||
| 2 | 19-21 March 2003 | 2003 Warsaw[212] | 1 (89 points) | 2 | 21 | 1000m | 1:28.450 min |
| 1 | 34 | 1500m | 2:25.271 min | ||||
| 1 | 34 | 3000m | 4:58.297min | ||||
| 3 | 19-21 April 2004 | 2004 Gothenburg[213] | 1 (102 points) | 1 | 34 | 1000m | 1:26.813 min |
| 1 | 34 | 1500m | 2:16.376 min | ||||
| 1 | 34 | 3000m | 5:03.670 min | ||||
| 4 | 5-6 March 2005 | 2005 Beijing[214] | 1 (89 points) | 3 | 13 | 500m | 42.185s |
| 2 | 21 | 1000m | 1:30.206 min | ||||
| 1 | 34 | 1500m | 2:14.396 min | ||||
| 2 | 21 | 3000m | 5:15.326 min | ||||
| 5 | 29-31 March 2006 | 2006 Minneapolis[215] | 1 (68 points) | 1 | 34 | 1000m | 1:27.631 min |
| 1 | 34 | 1500m | 2:20.572 min | ||||
| 6 | 9-11 March 2007 | 2007 Milan[216] | 1 (81 points) | 3 | 13 | 500m | 41.625s |
| 1 | 34 | 1000m | 1:27.177 min | ||||
| 3 | 13 | 1500m | 3:22.818 min | ||||
| 2 | 21 | 3000m | 4:55.414 min | ||||
| - | 14-16 March 2013 | 2013 Debrecen[217] | 6 (23 points) | 2 | 21 | 500m | 41,995s |
| 7 | 2 | 3000m | 5:07.087 min | ||||
| 7 | 14-16 March 2014 | 2014 Montreal[218] | 1 (63 points) | 4 | 8 | 500m | 41.207s |
| 1 | 34 | 1000m | 1:25.446 min | ||||
| 4 | 8 | 1500m | 2:15.393 mins | ||||
| 3 | 13 | 3000m | 5:12.334 min | ||||
| - | 10-12 March 2017 | 2017 Debrecen[219] | 7 (23 points) | 7 | 2 | 500m | 42,031s |
| 4 | 8 | 1500m | 2:17,057min | ||||
| 3 | 13 | 3000m | 5:07.087 min |
Relay and Team, Podiums
| Relay | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| date | Competition Location | rank | record | |
| 5-7 April 2002 | 2002 Montreal | 1 | 7:10,751 min | |
| 19-21 March 2003 | 2003 Warsaw | 1 | 6:55.975 min | |
| 19-21 April 2004 | 2004 Gothenburg | 1 | 6:48.133 min | |
| 5-6 March 2005 | 2005 Beijing | 2 | 6:40.020 min | |
| 9-11 March 2007 | 2007 Milan | 1 | 6:55.399 min | |
| 14-16 March 2013 | 2013 Debrecen | 2 | 6:51.953 min | |
| Team South Korea | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| date | Competition Location | rank | |||
| 29-30 March 2002 | Team 2002 Milwaukee | 3 | |||
| 15-16 March 2003 | Team 2003 Sofia | 2 | |||
| 13-14 March 2004 | Team 2004 Saint Petersburg | 1 | |||
| 5-6 March 2005 | Team 2005 Chuncheon | 2 | |||
| 25-26 March 2006 | Team 2006 Montreal | 1 | |||
| 17-18 March 2007 | Team 2007 Budapest | 2 | |||
World Cup
2 times Overall World Cup winner, 6 time individual distances World Cup winner, 67 World Cup victories
| World Cup Ranking | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | podiums |
| Overall | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 500m | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1000m | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 1500m | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 8 | 12 | 4 | 24 |
| World Cup medals | ||||
| Event | gold | Silver | bronze | podiums |
| Overall | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| 500m | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| 1000m | 13 | 10 | 5 | 28 |
| 1500m | 16 | 7 | 5 | 28 |
| 3000m | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
| distances | 48 | 30 | 20 | 98 |
| Relay | 19 | 7 | 6 | 32 |
| medals | 67 x | 37 x | 26 x | 130 |
| Total | 75 x | 49 x | 30 x | 154 |
World Cup Ranking Podiums
| season | Overall | 500m | 1000m | 1500m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd |
| 2003-04 | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| 2004-05 | 3rd | - | 2nd | 2nd |
| 2005-06 | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st |
| 2007-08 | 2nd | - | 1st | 2nd |
| 2012-13 | - | - | 2nd | 2nd |
| 2013-14 | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Podiums | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Total | 24 | |||
International competitions
| No. | Date | Competition Location | Rank | Event | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6-8 Jan 2002 | 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon | 1 | Overall[220] | |
| 2 | 6-8 Jan 2002 | 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon | 1 | 1000 m[221] | 1:33.130 min |
| 3 | 6-8 Jan 2002 | 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon | 1 | 1500 m | 2:28.988 min |
| 4 | 6-8 Jan 2002 | 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon | 3 | 1500 m S.F. | 2:38.066 min |
| 5 | 6-8 Jan 2002 | 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon | 1 | 2000 m relay | 2:46.852 min |
| 6 | 18-20 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon | Overall | ||
| 7 | 18-20 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon | 500 m | 43.471 s | |
| 8 | 18-20 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon | 1000 m | 1:30.632 min | |
| 9 | 18-20 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon | 1500 m | 2:27.038 min | |
| 10 | 18-20 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon | 3000 m S.F. | 5:00.322 min | |
| 11 | 25-27 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Beijing | 1500 m | 2:32.444 min | |
| 12 | 25-27 Oct 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Beijing | 3000 m S.F. | 5:01.814 min | |
| 13 | 29 Nov-1 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg | Overall | ||
| 14 | 29 Nov-1 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg | 1500 m | 2:20.100 min | |
| 15 | 29 Nov-1 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg | 3000 m S.F. | 5:10.828 min | |
| 16 | 29 Nov-1 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg | 5000 m relay | 7:02.015 min | |
| 17 | 6-8 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Bormio | Overall | ||
| 18 | 6-8 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Bormio | 1000 m | 1:28.150 min | |
| 19 | 6-8 Dec 2002 | 2002-03 ISU World Cup Bormio | 3000 m S.F. | 5:03.094 min | |
| 20 | 6-7 Feb 2003 | 2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori[222] | 1 | 1000 m | 1:31:142 min |
| 21 | 6-7 Feb 2003 | 2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori | 1 | 1500 m | 2:30:345 min |
| 22 | 6-7 Feb 2003 | 2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori | 1 | 5000 m relay | 7:04:009 min |
| 23 | 17-19 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Calgary | Overall | ||
| 24 | 17-19 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Calgary | 1000 m | - | |
| 25 | 17-19 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Calgary | 1500 m | 2:17.648 min | |
| 26 | 17-19 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Calgary | 3000 m S.F. | ||
| 27 | 17-19 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Calgary | 5000 m relay | 6:49.011 min | |
| 28 | 23-25 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Michigan | Overall | ||
| 29 | 23-25 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Michigan | 500 m | 42.946 s | |
| 30 | 23-25 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Michigan | 1000 m | 1:26.532 min | |
| 31 | 23-25 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Michigan | 1500 m | 2:10.639 min Former, (WR) | |
| 32 | 23-25 Oct 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Michigan | 5000 m relay | 6:48.598 min | |
| 33 | 28-30 Nov 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Jeonju | Overall | ||
| 34 | 28-30 Nov 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Jeonju | 1500 m | 2:22.686 min | |
| 35 | 28-30 Nov 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Jeonju | 3000 m S.F. | 4:53.270 min | |
| 36 | 28-30 Nov 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Jeonju | 5000 m relay | 7:04.115 min | |
| 37 | 5-7 Dec 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Beijing | Overall | ||
| 38 | 5-7 Dec 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Beijing | 1000 m | 1:27.554 min | |
| 39 | 5-7 Dec 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Beijing | 1500 m | 2:11.586 min | |
| 40 | 5-7 Dec 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Beijing | 3000 m S.F. | 4:32.646 min Former, (WR) | |
| 41 | 5-7 Dec 2003 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Beijing | 5000 m relay | 6:56.318 min | |
| 42 | 6-8 Feb 2004 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Mladá Boleslav | Overall | ||
| 43 | 6-8 Feb 2004 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Mladá Boleslav | 1000 m | 1:27.738 min | |
| 44 | 6-8 Feb 2004 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Mladá Boleslav | 1500 m | 2:20.136 min | |
| 45 | 6-8 Feb 2004 | 2003-04 ISU World Cup Mladá Boleslav | 3000 m S.F. | 4:51.475 min | |
| 46 | 22-24 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Harbin | Overall | ||
| 47 | 22-24 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Harbin | 1000 m | 1:27.907 min | |
| 48 | 22-24 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Harbin | 1500 m | 2:22.414 min | |
| 49 | 22-24 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Harbin | 3000 m S.F. | 4:59.733 min | |
| 50 | 22-24 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Harbin | 5000 m relay | 6:54.483 min | |
| 51 | 29-31 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Beijing | Overall | ||
| 52 | 29-31 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Beijing | 500 m | 42.486 s | |
| 53 | 29-31 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Beijing | 1000 m | 1:27.213 min | |
| 54 | 29-31 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Beijing | 1500 m | 2:20.330 min | |
| 55 | 29-31 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Beijing | 3000 m S.F. | 5:05.539 min | |
| 56 | 29-31 Oct 2004 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Beijing | 5000 m relay | 6:45.627 min | |
| 57 | 19-22 Jan 2005 | 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck | 3 | 1000 m | 1:28.329 min |
| 58 | 19-22 Jan 2005 | 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck | 1 | 1500 m | 2:26.991 min |
| 59 | 19-22 Jan 2005 | 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck | 1 | 3000m S.F. | 4:39.485 min |
| 60 | 19-22 Jan 2005 | 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck | 1 | 5000 m relay | 6:55.561 min |
| 61 | 4-6 Feb 2005 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Budapest | 1500 m | 2:25.603 min | |
| 62 | 10-12 Feb 2005 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Spišská Nová Ves | Overall | ||
| 63 | 10-12 Feb 2005 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Spišská Nová Ves | 1000 m | 1:32.901 min | |
| 64 | 10-12 Feb 2005 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Spišská Nová Ves | 3000 m S.F. | 5:15.453 min | |
| 65 | 10-12 Feb 2005 | 2004-05 ISU World Cup Spišská Nová Ves | 5000 m relay | 6:46.960 min | |
| 66 | 30 Sep-2 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou | Overall | ||
| 67 | 30 Sep-2 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou | 500 m | 41.933 s | |
| 68 | 30 Sep-2 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou | 1000 m | 1:26.466 min | |
| 69 | 30 Sep-2 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou | 1500 m | 2:20.254 min | |
| 70 | 30 Sep-2 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou | 3000 m S.F. | 5:08.219 min | |
| 71 | 30 Sep-2 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou | 5000 m relay | 6:52.067 min | |
| 72 | 7-9 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Seoul | Overall | ||
| 73 | 7-9 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Seoul | 1000 m | 1:27.833 min | |
| 74 | 7-9 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Seoul | 1500 m | 2:19.783 min | |
| 75 | 7-9 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Seoul | 3000 m S.F. | 5:38.708 min | |
| 76 | 7-9 Oct 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Seoul | 5000 m relay | 6:47.235 min | |
| 77 | 11-13 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Bormio | Overall | ||
| 78 | 11-13 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Bormio | 500 m | 41.994 s | |
| 79 | 11-13 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Bormio | 3000 m S.F | 5:44.712 min | |
| 80 | 11-13 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Bormio | 5000 m relay | 6:50.460 min | |
| 81 | 18-20 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hague | Overall | ||
| 82 | 18-20 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hague | 500 m | 42.745 s | |
| 83 | 18-20 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hague | 1000 m | 1:28.889 min | |
| 84 | 18-20 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hague | 1500 m | 2:26.838 min | |
| 85 | 18-20 Nov 2005 | 2005–06 ISU World Cup Hague | 5000 m relay | 6:59.694 min | |
| 86 | 20-22 Oct 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Changchun | 1000 m | 1:34.685 min | |
| 87 | 20-22 Oct 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Changchun | 1500 m | 2:20.432 min | |
| 88 | 20-22 Oct 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Changchun | 5000 m relay | 6:50.466 min | |
| 89 | 27-29 Oct 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Jeonju | 1000 m | 1:33.157 min | |
| 90 | 27-29 Oct 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Jeonju | 1500 m | 2:19.737 min | |
| 91 | 27-29 Oct 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Jeonju | 5000 m relay | 6:57.552 min | |
| 92 | 1-3 Dec 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Saguenay | 1000 m | 1:28.815 min | |
| 93 | 1-3 Dec 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Saguenay | 5000 m relay | 6:53.897 min | |
| 94 | 8-10 Dec 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Montreal | 1500 m (1) | 2:17.510 min | |
| 95 | 8-10 Dec 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Montreal | 1500 m (2) | 2:17.328 min | |
| 96 | 8-10 Dec 2006 | 2006-07 ISU World Cup Montreal | 5000 m relay | 6:50.095 min | |
| 97 | 29-31 Jan 2007 | 2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun | 1 | 1000 m[223] | 1:29.085 min |
| 98 | 29-31 Jan 2007 | 2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun | 2 | 1500 m[224] | 2:20.679 min |
| 99 | 29-31 Jan 2007 | 2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun | 1 | 5000 m relay[225] | 6:44.839 min |
| 100 | 19-21 Oct 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Harbin | 1000 m | 1:28.383 min | |
| 101 | 19-21 Oct 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Harbin | 1500 m | 2:17.947 min | |
| 102 | 19-21 Oct 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Harbin | 5000 m relay[226] | 7:00:481 min | |
| 103 | 26-28 Oct 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Kobe | 1000 m | 1:28.567 min | |
| 104 | 26-28 Oct 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Kobe | 1500 m | 2:23.225 min | |
| 105 | 26-28 Oct 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Kobe | 5000 m relay[227] | 7:00:481 min | |
| 106 | 23-25 Nov 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Heerenveen | 1000 m | 1:24.385 min | |
| 107 | 23-25 Nov 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Heerenveen | 1500 m | 2:21.218 min | |
| 108 | 23-25 Nov 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Heerenveen | 5000 m relay | 6:59.774 min | |
| 109 | 30 Nov-2 Dec 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Turin | 1000 m | 1:27.469 min | |
| 110 | 30 Nov-2 Dec 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Turin | 1500 m | 2:19.458 min | |
| 111 | 30 Nov-2 Dec 2007 | 2007-08 ISU World Cup Turin | 5000 m relay | 6:55.133 min | |
| 112 | 19-21 Oct 2012 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Calgary | 1000 m | 1:24.519 min | |
| 113 | 19-21 Oct 2012 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Calgary | 5000 m relay | 6:45.124 min | |
| 114 | 30 Nov-2 Dec 2012 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Nagoya | 1000 m | 1:28.344 min | |
| 115 | 7-9 Dec 2012 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Shanghai | 1000 m | 1:25.055 min | |
| 116 | 7-9 Dec 2012 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Shanghai | 1500 m | 2:17.736 min | |
| 117 | 18-20 Jan 2013 | 2013 European Championships Malmö | 3 | 500 m | 41.432 s |
| 118 | 18-20 Jan 2013 | 2013 European Championships Malmö | 2 | 1000 m | 1:26.787 min |
| 119 | 18-20 Jan 2013 | 2013 European Championships Malmö | 1 | 5000 m relay | 6:51.293 min |
| 120 | 1-3 Feb 2013 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Sochi | 5000 m relay | 6:53.585 min | |
| 121 | 8-10 Feb 2013 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Dresden | 1000 m | 1:25.824 min | |
| 122 | 8-10 Feb 2013 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Dresden | 1500 m | 2:18.543 min | |
| 123 | 8-10 Feb 2013 | 2012-13 ISU World Cup Dresden | 5000 m relay | 6:45.090 min | |
| 124 | 26-29 Sep 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Shanghai | 1500 m | 2:15.110 min | |
| 125 | 3-6 Oct 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Seoul | 500 m | 40.764 s | |
| 126 | 3-6 Oct 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Seoul | 1000 m | 1:27.683 min | |
| 127 | 3-6 Oct 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Seoul | 1500 m | 2:16.922 min | |
| 128 | 7-10 Nov 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Turin | 500 m | 40.935 s | |
| 129 | 7-10 Nov 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Turin | 1000 m | 1:23.487 min | |
| 130 | 7-10 Nov 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Turin | 5000 m relay | 6:45.229 min | |
| 131 | 14-17 Nov 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Kolomna | 500 m | 40.856 s | |
| 132 | 14-17 Nov 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Kolomna | 1500 m | 2:18.730 min | |
| 133 | 14-17 Nov 2013 | 2013-14 ISU World Cup Kolomna | 5000 m relay | 6:48.676 min | |
| 134 | 17-19 Jan 2014 | 2014 European Championships viktor, this, korean, name, family, name, russian, Виктор, Ан, born, hyun, korean, 안현수, november, 1985, south, korean, born, russian, short, track, speed, skating, coach, retired, short, track, speed, skater, with, total, eight, olympic, medals, gold, bronze, . In this Korean name the family name is Ahn Viktor An Russian Viktor An born Ahn Hyun soo Korean 안현수 on November 23 1985 5 is a South Korean born Russian short track speed skating coach and retired short track speed skater With a total of eight Olympic medals six gold and two bronze he is the only short track speed skater in Olympic history to win gold in every distance and the first to win a medal in every distance at a single Games 6 He has the most Olympic gold medals in the sport three of which he won in the 2006 Winter Olympics and the other three in the 2014 Winter Olympics Considered to be the greatest short track speed skater of all time he is a six time overall World champion 2003 2007 2014 two time overall World Cup winner 2003 04 2005 06 and the 2014 European champion He holds the most overall titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships and is the only male short track skater to win five consecutive world titles 7 Viktor AnViktor Ahn 2016 aips2018 An Personal informationBirth nameAhn Hyun soo안현수Born 1985 11 23 November 23 1985 age 37 Seoul South KoreaHeight1 70 m 5 ft 7 in 1 Weight65 kg 143 lb 1 Spouse s Woo Nari m 2014 wbr SportCountry South Korea until 2011 Russia since 2011 SportShort track speed skatingRetiredApril 27 2020Achievements and titlesWorld finalsWorld Championship2014 Overall2007 Overall2006 Overall2005 Overall2004 Overall2003 OverallWorld Cup2006 Overall2004 OverallPersonal best s 500 m 39 961 2019 2 1000 m 1 23 487 2013 2 1500 m 2 10 639 2003 Former WR 2 3 3000 m 4 32 646 2003 Former WR 2 4 Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rdOlympic Games 6 0 2World Championships 20 10 5World Team Championships 2 3 1European Championships 8 6 2World Junior Championships 4 0 1Winter Universiade 3 0 1Asian Games 5 1 0Total 48 20 12Representing RussiaOlympic Games2014 Sochi 500 m2014 Sochi 1000 m2014 Sochi 5000 m relay2014 Sochi 1500 mWorld Championships2014 Montreal Overall2014 Montreal 1000 m2013 Debrecen 500 m2013 Debrecen 5000 m relay2014 Montreal 3000 m2017 Rotterdam 3000 mEuropean Championships2013 Malmo 5000 m relay2014 Debrecen Overall2014 Debrecen 500 m2014 Debrecen 1000 m2014 Debrecen 3000 m2014 Debrecen 5000 m relay2015 Dordrecht 500 m2015 Dordrecht 5000 m relay2013 Malmo 1000m2015 Dordrecht Overall2015 Dordrecht 3000 m2017 Turin 5000 m relay2018 Dresden 500 m2018 Dresden 5000 m relay2013 Malmo 500 m2017 Turin 500 mRepresenting South KoreaOlympic Games2006 Turin 1000 m2006 Turin 1500 m2006 Turin 5000 m relay2006 Turin 500 mWorld Championships2002 Montreal 5000 m relay2003 Warsaw Overall2003 Warsaw 1500 m2003 Warsaw 3000 m2003 Warsaw 5000 m relay2004 Gothenburg Overall2004 Gothenburg 1000 m2004 Gothenburg 1500 m2004 Gothenburg 3000 m2004 Gothenburg 5000 m relay2005 Beijing Overall2005 Beijing 1500 m2006 Minneapolis Overall2006 Minneapolis 1000 m2006 Minneapolis 1500 m2007 Milan Overall2007 Milan 1000 m2007 Milan 5000 m relay2002 Montreal Overall2002 Montreal 1000 m2002 Montreal 3000 m2003 Warsaw 1000 m2005 Beijing 1000 m2005 Beijing 3000 m2005 Beijing 5000 m relay2007 Milan 3000 m2005 Beijing 500 m2007 Milan 500 m2007 Milan 1500 mWorld Team Championships2004 St Petersburg Team2006 Montreal Team2003 Sofia Team2005 Chuncheon Team2007 Budapest Team2002 Milwaukee TeamWorld Junior Championships2002 Chuncheon Overall2002 Chuncheon 1000 m2002 Chuncheon 1500 m2002 Chuncheon 2000 m relay2002 Chuncheon 1500 m S F Winter Universiade2005 Innsbruck 1500 m2005 Innsbruck 3000 m2005 Innsbruck 5000 m relay2005 Innsbruck 1000 mAsian Winter Games2003 Aomori 1000 m2003 Aomori 1500 m2003 Aomori 5000 m relay2007 Changchun 1000 m2007 Changchun 5000 m relay2007 Changchun 1500 mVictor AnHangul빅토르 안Hanja빅토르 安Revised RomanizationBiktoreu AnMcCune ReischauerPikt orŭ AnAhn Hyun sooHangul안현수Hanja安賢洙Revised RomanizationAn HyeonsuMcCune ReischauerAn HyŏnsuIn 2008 Ahn suffered a knee injury and could not regain his health by the time the national qualifiers for Vancouver 2010 came around His recovery being slow and his South Korean local team dissolved in 2010 8 9 Ahn aiming for his second Olympics became a Russian citizen the next year and began racing for the Russian team After winning gold in Sochi Ahn explained his reasons for joining the Russian team saying I wanted to train in the best possible environment and I proved my decision was not wrong As expected a gold winning athlete leaving the national team caused public uproar in South Korea However it was aimed not at Ahn but at the country s skating union Most South Korean fans in a poll said they understood his decision 10 11 Ahn continued his skating career in his adopted nation until 2019 and declared his retirement in April 2020 8 12 In 2023 Ahn returned to South Korea and applied to be a coach for Seongnam City s short track speed skating team despite having renounced his South Korean citizenship when becoming Russian However since 2014 he had been increasingly criticized for his work in Russia amid the Russo Ukrainian War and his coaching position in the Chinese team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing He was criticized by the public for betraying his country by transferring Korean sports skills to Russia and China and some Korean coaches issued statements about it They criticized the controversy over his remarks that he said they thought his dual citizenship was possible during the naturalization process and the moral issue of the received an lump sum payment Olympic medal pension just before naturalization and opposed his return as South Korean sports leader 13 14 Ahn was eventually denied the coaching position due to significant public opposition 15 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 2000s 2 1 1 Early career and the 2002 Winter Olympics 2 1 1 1 faction and national team recommendation system 2 1 2 2002 2005 KNSU and Non KNSU 2 1 3 2005 Conflict with Korea Skating Union 2 1 4 2006 Winter Olympics 2 1 5 After Torino 2 1 6 Injury in early 2008 2 2 2010s 2 2 1 2010 Conflict with Korea Skating Union 2 2 2 Naturalization to Russia 2 2 3 2011 Conflict with the South Korean coaches 2 2 4 Heading to Sochi 2 2 5 2014 Winter Olympics 2 2 6 After Sochi 2 2 7 Retirement 2 3 2020s 2 3 1 2022 Winter Olympics 2 3 2 Failure to return to South Korea for coaching 2 3 3 South Korean leadership activities 3 Conflict with mentor 4 Style 5 Awards and honors 6 Personal life 6 1 Russian citizenship 7 Notes 8 In the media 9 Detailed results 9 1 Olympics results 9 2 World Championships 9 3 World Cup 9 4 International competitions 9 5 National competitions 10 References 11 External linksEarly life and education EditAhn began skating in 1993 in his first year of primary school The first time he watched the sport on television was during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer where one of his heroes Chae Ji hoon took gold in the 500 m and silver in the 1000 m for South Korea 16 Incidentally these were the Games where Russia achieved a national record of 11 Olympic golds a feat that he himself would help to repeat twenty years later His coach Kim Ki hoon was a three time Olympic gold medalist who scouted Ahn and continued to train him He trained ten hours every day from techniques speed and endurance to video analysis 16 Career Edit2000s Edit Early career and the 2002 Winter Olympics Edit Ahn made his international debut at the World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships in 2002 Finishing first in the 1500 m 1000 m and 5000 m relay events he claimed the overall title Ahn then participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City He made the finals for the 1000 m event but returned home without a medal after a controversial fall involving Apolo Ohno Li Jiajun and Mathieu Turcotte that allowed Australian Steve Bradbury to sweep the gold medal Ahn finished in fourth place behind Ohno and Turcotte 1 After the 2002 Olympics Ahn finished second to Kim Dong sung at his first senior level world championship competition the same year almost duplicating Kim s feat of winning both the Junior and Senior World Championship titles in 1997 Ahn began dominating the sport from the 2002 2003 season As well as claiming four overall and 1500 m World Championship titles in a row between 2003 and 2006 Ahn excelled himself at 1000 m and 3000 m during that period and also starred with the Republic of Korea s 5000 m relay team In all he won a total of 23 medals in that prolific spell and took the 2004 and 2006 World Cup titles for good measure 5 He also set the world records for the 1500 m in 2003 at World Cup 2 in Marquette 3 and the 3000 m at World Cup 4 in Beijing 4 which he held for the following eight years faction and national team recommendation system Edit South Korea has produced many outstanding short track speed skaters and is highly competitive in selecting the national team Their key method of selecting players is to automatically select the best players in advance according to the comprehensive podium rankings of the World Championships However there is a system that has disappeared after much controversy and factional fight It was the recommendation system 17 South Korea s elite sports system was strictly a top down relationship between leaders and athletes and the factions were formed according to the leaders and the factions of the players were also determined by their universities and leaders 18 19 And the players was disadvantaged if he disobeyed the instructions from the factional leader 20 21 Viktor Ahn is one of these representative players Ahn graduated from Korea National Sport University His leaders were Kim Ki hoon a three time Olympic champion 22 and Jeon Myung kyu former vice president of the Korea Skating Union who was also the head coach of the Korean short track speed skating team from 1987 to 2002 23 Ahn won the all of the junior world championship and continued to perform well in domestic competitions as a junior but did not participate in the national team trials However head coach decided to put the 16 year old Ahn on the national team instead of an injured player 24 25 The 2002 Olympics was his Senior international debut In addition to Ahn many athletes and leaders were recommended by the Korea Skating Union They were Chae Ji hoon Chun Lee kyung Kim So hee 26 Choi Min kyung 27 Ko Gi hyun Lee Ho suk and Choi Eun kyung 28 and also included were Kim Dong sung and Kim Sun tae who were injured and failed to participate in the national team trials 29 30 2002 2005 KNSU and Non KNSU Edit Factional fight in south Korean ice skating was allegedly mentioned as a form of Korea National Sport University KNSU and non Korea National Sport University But it was far more complicated inside The power struggle of first generation ice skating leaders which started in the 1990s 31 32 changed form and influenced leaders their direct disciples and athletes and changed their relationship 18 19 In 2002 when Ahn became a member of the national team it was the time when Korean society was noisy due to the corruption of the ice skating world Athletes and parents who were University entrance students gave money to professors who were influential in the ice skating world and the professor received it And the person who reported the case and accused his senior of corruption is Jeon Myung Kyu who becomes professor at the Korea National Sport University 33 34 In June 2003 Ahn decided to enter the Korea National Sport University in spite of exceptional conditions including the guarantee of professor posts in other universities 35 The recommendation system that selected him for the national team in 2002 was a system that existed before Ahn became the national team but in the process Ahn was classified as the representative face of Korea National Sport University and Professor Jeon And those on the other side accused 16 year old Ahn of being responsible for factional conflicts in Korea s skating world 24 25 In 2003 2004 when Ahn s heyday began conflicts in the ice skating world and the tyranny of leaders were serious In the national team Jeon Myung kyu stepped down from his post due to poor performance at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and Olympic medalists Kim Ki hoon took over the men s national team 36 but in 2004 Kim was forced to resign due to the controversy over forcing his athletes to wear skates made by the family run skating company 37 In November 2004 Choi Eun kyung Byun Chun sa etc six womens team members left the athletes village due to the coach s habitual beating scandal 38 The coaches for the women s team have all been replaced 39 40 Two months later Ahn was assaulted at the Winter Universiade in January 2005 The mens team coach Yoon had to resign after the World Team Championships in March due to controversy over match fixing and assault allegations raised at the time 41 Kim Ki hoon was reelected coach of the men s team for the Turin 2006 Olympics instead of Yoon Jae Myung However in April 2005 seven other non Korea National Sport University athletes with the exception of Ahn Hyun soo declined to enter the athletes village They insisted The main person is fixed We can t trust a coach who favours a specific player At the end of the day Kim Ki hoon resigns saying I can t teach these players anymore 42 Kim Ki hoon was professor Jeon s direct disciple Kim is known to have passed on special know how skating skills to Ahn 24 Kim Ki hoon mentioned in an interview in 2018 Ahn hyun soo was really outstanding Teach him one thing and he really absorbs it in like a sponge Ahn was not the only one to teach more I coached everyone on the national team but Ahn came to see me more often 43 2005 Conflict with Korea Skating Union Edit Ahn was reported to be the victim of senior player Seo Ho jin s assault at the 2005 Winter Universiade Though Seo was expelled from the national team and Yoon Jae myung head coach for the event was dismissed on charges of match fixing 41 Seo returned to the national team for the 2006 Winter Olympics the next year Ahn refused to join the national team and take training in 2005 and also confronted with the leaders of the Korea Skating Union In July 2005 parents and coaches including Ahn and Choi Eun kyung Sung Si bak held a press conference and exposed coach Yoon Jae myung s Aiding and abetting assault It also called for the resignation of all federation leaders and announced its absence from the 2006 Turin Olympics 44 45 As a result coach Yoon s appointment has been canceled However the conflict at that time was at its peak In the end this incident resulted in Ahn training alone in the women s team not the men s 46 The issue came back to the fore after Ahn s victory as a Russian in the 2014 Winter Olympics as the South Korean public questioned the Korea Skating Union of losing their biggest Olympic star Regarding the uproar against him Seo argued that the incident was just a form of discipline from senior to junior 47 but Ahn revealed in 2015 that he and his junior were hit with helmets on 48 2006 Winter Olympics Edit At the 2006 Winter Olympics Ahn won gold medals in the 1500 m and 1000 m events He set a new Olympic record time of 1 26 739 in the 1000 m finishing ahead of teammate Lee Ho suk and rival Ohno Ahn also won gold in men s 5000 m relay along with teammates Lee Ho suk Seo Ho jin and Song Suk woo With his patented outside overtaking maneuver he overtook defending champion Canada to get his third gold medal of the Games 49 50 Ahn became the second South Korean athlete ever to win three gold medals in one Olympics following Jin Sun yu who had accomplished this earlier on the same day He also won a bronze medal in the 500 m event 1 Ahn was the only athlete in Turin to step on to the podium four times 6 Ahn became the first short track speed skater to win a medal in every distance at a single Games a feat unprecedented by any athlete in his sport He is the first South Korean man to win at least 3 medals in a single Winter Olympics 6 51 Following the 2006 Olympics Ahn maintained his record at the 2006 World Championships in Minneapolis Despite being disqualified in the finals of the 500 m and 3000 m events his victories in both the 1000 m and 1500 m events helped him defend his title with 68 points followed by countryman Lee Ho suk with 60 points He became the first male short track skater to win four consecutive world titles 52 53 After Torino Edit After the 2006 World Championships Ahn flew back to South Korea At Incheon International Airport Ahn s father had a loud quarrel with the vice president of the Korea Skating Union KSU claiming that the coach did not associate with Ahn and conspired with other skaters to prevent Ahn from winning the title of overall champion 54 55 Ahn collided with Lee Ho suk and Oh Se jong in the World Championship 3000m Super Final The airport incident which was reported on news screens caused a stir in the media and the public along with factional issues as a result the Korea Skating Union said it would hold a committee meeting to consider disciplinary action On April 26 2006 the reward and punishment committee concluded that it was not an intentional collision after playing the videos more than 100 times and that Ahn Hyun soo Lee Ho suk and Oh Se jong were all unintentional 56 57 The South Korean short track team was split into two groups in one of which Ahn was being coached by the women s coach Park Sae woo due to conflicts with the men s coach Song Jae kun even though Ahn was the main player winning the gold medal in the Turin Olympics 5000m relay the men s team members held a ceremony to their mentor commentator Lee Joon ho excluding only Ahn Hyun soo The tensions had risen so high that the skaters refused to dine in the same room sit next to each other on the plane or even share the same floor with each other Ahn and Lee Ho suk used to attend the same high school together and even shared a room the previous year in skating camps but due to the conflict they had begun to rarely speak to each other 58 59 Ahn mentioned on his personal website that the pressure was too much for him and he contemplated quitting the sport Due to the issue KSU stated that starting next season the team would be united under one head coach to prevent deleterious rivalries 55 In spite of the conflicts Ahn continued to dominate the sport At the 2007 World Championships held in Milan Ahn won his fifth world championship finishing first in the 1000 m and in the 5000 m relay with teammates Sung Si bak Song Kyung taek and Kim Hyun kon He also won silver in the 3000 m behind Song and won two bronze medals in the 500 m and the 1500 m With this victory Ahn became the first man to win five consecutive world championships 60 Ahn is the only male short track skater to have won at least three consecutive world championships Canadian short track legend Marc Gagnon has won four times but his titles did not come back to back Injury in early 2008 Edit On January 16 2008 the Korea Skating Union KSU reported that Ahn had injured his knee after colliding with a fence during national team training at the Korea Training Center in Taeneung The skate blade got stuck on the ice then the Ahn fell and bumped his knee on the fence 61 The fence placed to absorb the shock froze hard like a rock causing serious injury rather than absorbing the impact After being sent to the hospital the injury was diagnosed as a fractured knee 62 63 Due to the injury KSU announced that Ahn would not be competing in the ISU Samsung World Cup Series 5 and 6 in Quebec City and Salt Lake City respectively It was also reported that he would not be competing in the 2008 World Championships in Gangneung or the 2008 World Team Championships in Harbin China As a result of the unexpected injury it was clear that Ahn would be unable to defend his sixth World title leaving his countrymen Lee Ho suk Song Kyung taek and Lee Seung hoon to make up the ground After undergoing three surgeries his rehabilitation period was predicted to be around 2 3 months 64 After eight months off the ice a South Korean news article reported on September 5 2008 that Ahn was back training undergoing approximately two hours of physical reinforcement and skating along with around five hours of rehabilitation accompanied by muscular power training The article also reported that Ahn was eyeing the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Canada 65 However his recovery from the injury was much slower than initially expected and he had to undergo four surgeries in 15 months 66 5 In 2009 Ahn finished seventh overall at the Korean national team trials which was not enough for him to qualify for the Olympic team Not having fully recovered from his injury he again was unable to qualify for the national team in the following season In 2010 2011 Ahn served as a commentator for SBS Sports on the season s World Cup series and World Championships 67 2010s Edit 2010 Conflict with Korea Skating Union Edit In March 2010 Ahn s father Ahn Ki Won revealed that Lee Jung su forfeited the individual competition at the world championships because of external pressure not injury 68 69 Athletes traded the rights to participate in the Olympics and the World Championships under the instructions of the coaches and each other helped the Olympic national team trials This incident had a huge impact The players involved and the Vancouver Olympic coaches have all been disciplined 70 71 The leaders of the Korea Skating Union were all forced to resign 72 Ahn became a whistleblower who informed the South Korean society of the dark side of Korean shorttrack speed skating of factional fight and match fixing regardless of his will 68 And it took a toll on him officially or informally The selection of the national team was suddenly postponed and Ahn Hyun soo overlapped with the four week basic military training period 73 disrupted his own training plan 69 74 Suspicions have also been raised that he missed an Olympic opportunity by disobeying the factional leader s words 20 75 Noise and controversy continued around him regarding factional issues and the way the national team was selected 76 And his team Seongnam City declared a moratorium in July 2010 and decided to dismantle the ice skating team in December 2010 But there was not a team to scouted Ahn Hyun soo 9 77 Naturalization to Russia Edit Ahn last competed as a South Korean citizen at the national team trials in April 2011 where he took gold in the 500 m 78 Prior to the trials his local team Seongnam City Hall dissolved due to financial reasons and therefore Ahn had to train by himself 9 After the trials Ahn announced that he will be moving to Russia because he wanted to skate in an environment where he could concentrate in skating apart from the issues surrounding him 79 He moved to Russia on June 2011 and decided to naturalize on July On December 28 2011 he was officially granted a Russian nationality by President Dmitry Medvedev His Korean nationality was automatically extinguished by the South Korean nationality law which does not allow dual nationality 53 Since then South Korean media has reported that he received the full Olympic medal pension in July 2011 and decided to naturalized to Russia in August Based on this when the Korea skating coach union pointed out pension receipt due to morality issues in the process of hiring Seongnam City coach in 2023 Viktor Ahn said he decided on everything in July 2011 and donated the entire pension just before Russian naturalization for the first time in 12 years 80 81 In 2015 MBC documentary Ahn said Just before naturalization of Russia there was a pressure from an official of the Korea Skating Union to the Russian Skating Union saying This athlete is a problematic player in Korea and should never be accepted 82 59 2011 Conflict with the South Korean coaches Edit South Korean coaches and staff were already in Russia before Ahn decided to go to Russia But in October 2011 the Russian Skating Union fired everyone leaving Viktor Ahn alone According to South Korean media reports at the time internal conflicts between leaders South Korean experts never notified Russian coaches how to prepare skating equipment accordingly in shorttrack speed skating compulsory training and corporal punishment on athletes were the reasons for the dismissal 83 84 At that time however there were rumors in South Korea that Ahn was reluctant to undergo Korean style training again 85 After this incident coach Hwang Ik hwan and Ahn s wife Woo Nari who were coaches of his team for Seongnam City just before his naturalization were invited to Russia for Viktor Ahn s rehabilitation and psychotherapy 86 87 Heading to Sochi Edit Ahn participated in the Russian national team trials for the 2011 2012 season and was selected as a relay member for the season He made his debut as a Russian short track speed skater at World Cup 5 in Moscow 88 In the national trials for the 2012 2013 season Ahn won the 1000 m and 3000 m events 89 successfully pulling off to the national team At World Cup 1 in Calgary he won his first individual gold in the international stage since his knee injury four years ago 90 He also contributed to Russia s first ever relay gold at World Cup 5 in Sochi making an inside pass that reminded of performances in his heyday 91 Ahn came through the Olympic season with flying colors finishing second in the overall World Cup rankings and winning four golds at the 2014 European Championships While his knee injury did not allow him to top the 1500 m races that he had dominated when representing Korea his experience technique and exclusive training on the 500 m helped Ahn lead the distance in the World Cup rankings 92 2014 Winter Olympics Edit Ahn at the men s 500 m podium at the 2014 Olympics At the 2014 Winter Olympics Ahn won the bronze medal in the 1500 m event which was the first short track speed skating medal that Russia had ever earned 93 Ahn then won the first Russian gold medal in short track winning the 1000 m event by leading the first Russian 1 2 finish in short track with Vladimir Grigorev 94 On February 21 Ahn won his seventh overall and fifth Winter Olympic gold medal when he finished first in the 500 m men s final 95 With that gold medal he became the first short track skater to win all four Olympic golds the 500 m 1000 m 1500 m and 5000 m relay He also became the short track speed skater with the most Olympic gold medals with five which increased to six with a 5000 m relay win later the same day 96 With that gold he became the short tracker with the most Olympic medals at eight tied with Apolo Ohno he also became the short tracker with the most Olympic gold medals at six 97 After his victory Koreans came to an uproar questioning the Korea Skating Union of the reason for Ahn s naturalization which eventually caused Korean President Park Geun hye to order an investigation on the issue 10 Contrary to the public opinion in Korea Ahn contended that he did not move to Russia because of factionalism 98 He also added that his father who had argued Ahn was the victim of faction fight in Korea was contradicting him and going to the Olympics was the sole reason why he made the difficult decision to come to Russia Ahn expressed his concern that though his relationship with the Korean athletes had no problems the press was making them awkward 99 100 101 After Sochi Edit In the 2014 World Championships held a month after the Olympics Ahn won the 1000 m and finished third in the 3000 m grabbing his sixth world title by 63 points He became the only man to win six world championships in the sport After his prolific season Ahn continued his skating career despite a part move into coaching 102 11 103 He missed the 2015 2016 season due to knee problems and his wife s pregnancy 5 104 105 In an interview after the 2016 World Championships which he did not take part in but did watch he told the press that doctors have warned him undergoing extra surgery would jeopardize his career and thus he is working on adding muscles to relieve the pain 106 Ahn continued to win medals at the World and European championships for Russia He won bronze in the 500 m and silver in the 5000 m relay at the 2017 European Championships and won silver in the 500 m race at the 2018 European Championships Although Ahn had planned to retire after participating the 2018 Winter Olympics in his native South Korea 106 he missed out the Olympics in the wake of the alleged sports doping in Russia 59 The IOC did not disclose the specific reasons for banning Ahn only mentioning lingering suspicions about doping use regarding the country Ahn who had never tested positive for drugs challenged the decision writing an open letter to IOC President Thomas Bach 107 but he was not answered Retirement Edit Ahn decided to retire from the sport and return to his home country of South Korea after rejecting an offer to coach the Russian team in September 2018 108 109 54 After stepping off ice Ahn starred in the South Korean variety reality show Real Man 300 110 111 He was also noticed working as a player coach at Korea National Sports University 112 In February 2019 Ahn reversed his decision announcing that he wanted to compete as an athlete 113 114 Aged 33 he won silver in the 500 m and 1000 m races respectively at the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Salt Lake City and Shanghai before anchoring Russia to gold in the mixed gender 2 000 m relay and men s 5 000 m relay 5 11 In April 2020 Ahn revealed that knee problems were affecting his ability to train and that it was time for him to finally finish his skating career 8 115 In his retirement statement he announced he will continue to work for the sport 116 117 2020s Edit 2022 Winter Olympics Edit In 2018 Ahn was offered a coaching position for China s national speed skating team by Wang Meng who had been Ahn s acquaintance since 2002 Although Ahn declined the offer in 2018 he accepted the offer in late 2019 12 As the top assistant of Kim Sun tae head coach for China s short track team in the 2022 Winter Olympics and previous head coach for Korea s short track team in the 2018 Winter Olympics Ahn helped Chinese players win two gold medals one silver medal and one bronze medal in Beijing 118 119 His training style was to skate with the athletes throughout the sessions so that they could naturally learn how to make steps 120 When Korean skaters were disqualified during the men s 1000 m semifinals arousing short track speed skating controversies South Korean netizens directed anger and criticism towards Ahn who was seen congratulating his team for winning gold in the 2000 m mixed relay 121 122 In addition some Korean media and the public have remarked that he received an Olympic medal pension sports pension just prior to his naturalization in Russia 123 Regarding the Olympic medal pension he has already been confirmed to have received the most sports pension among South Korean sports athletes through a parliamentary audit by the South Korean National Assembly in October 2012 During his career he received a pension of more than 370 million won from the state 124 The receipt of the Olympic medal pension has been raised since his naturalization but it has not been much controversy However in 2021 his junior Lin Xiaojun Lim Hyo jun an Olympic gold medalist was known to have decided to naturalize to China and major South Korean media compared Lin XiaoJun who was naturalized to China over the repeated naturalization of Korean ace athletes to other countries and pensions for the first time in 10 years 125 And anti Chinese sentiment during the 2022 Beijing Olympics has raised criticism over his receipt of the Olympic medal pension Not responding to interview requests during the Games Ahn shared his thoughts on the issue in March in an interview with the Korean press by saying I kept a stiff upper lip because I didn t want to be an irresponsible person Due to the nature of the sport judgment problems can occur at any time All players come to the game with the mindset that they should be careful about decision issues but the unexpected often happens on ice Regarding the accusations that were poured on not only him but also his family Ahn said It suddenly occurred to me that if I gave up short track speed skating this controversy would end adding I thought I had been supported for my passion and games but it was heartbreaking to see unexpected things lead to criticism He yet stated that despite the adversities he won t be leaving the sport 120 76 After the Olympics Ahn rejected a four year coaching position and returned to Korea having not met his family for 19 months due to Covid 19 situations 76 Failure to return to South Korea for coaching Edit In 2023 Ahn returned to South Korea and applied to be a coach for Seongnam City s short track speed skating team However he is under huge criticism from the South Korean short track speed skating coaches as he has helped South Korean rival China to gain medals during the 2022 Beijing Olympics The Korea skating coach union urged Seongnam City to appoint a coach that meets the public eye level and criticized Ahn that he lied during the naturalization process and betrayed his country avoiding the fact that Ahn was mistreated by the Korean skating federation after his injuries 13 14 In late January Seongnam City s short track speed skating team announced that no one is qualified to be a coach meaning that Ahn is unlikely to be coach for his homeland since then the Korea skating coach union has been known as a close aide to a specific candidate and suspicions have been raised that the disciplinary history of a specific candidate has not been raised 126 127 In response Three time Olympic champion Choi Min jeong released a joint statement on social media asking for a fair and transparent process as she believed that the recruitment should not be swayed by any outside influence and it is important to bring in the most competent candidate who can communicate with us 128 After Seongnam City has since announced that there are no successful candidates 129 As a result some South Korean media outlets suggested that there was a factional power struggle and political involvement in the ice skating world 130 131 Following South Korea s rejection of Viktor Ahn through TASS Russian Skating Union president expressed that they would like to appoint Ahn 128 132 In 2022 Russia invited Viktor Ahn to become an advisor to the Skating Union but he refused due to objections by Ahn s wife 133 134 While Russia sports media outlet Sport Express urged Ahn to return to Russia as a leader 135 136 On February 7 Viktor Ahn expressed his position on the controversy over Russian naturalization on his social network service SNS after received a lump sum payment of the athletes pension which the Korea skating coach union pointed out as a moral issue 80 127 At first he thought dual citizenship was possible However when he found out that he had to give up his Korean nationality he decided that it was right to return the Olympic medal pension he received And before naturalization in Russia he made a full donation to children in need of heart surgery and junior athletes in need of rehabilitation and treatment Since then some of the pensions have been delivered to the family of Noh Jin kyu his junior athlete at the Korean National Sport University according to a South Korean ice skating official 127 81 Ahn then said that he would humbly accept the criticism of choosing naturalization for any reason but he said he would raise speak out when there is misunderstanding 80 127 On February 9 The Hankyoreh pointed out Seongnam City s negligence in administration in that Ahn s coaching support was exposed in advance in connection with the recruitment of the ice skating team at Seongnam City While the Korea Skating Coaches Union pointed out that it was not the opinion of the Korean ice skating leaders as a whole and that it was a serious problem for the media to report the opinions of certain unofficial organizations as the opinions of the entire leaders 137 South Korean leadership activities Edit On April 13 2023 South Korean media reported as follows Viktor Ahn will participate as a coach for multiple skaters in the 2023 24 season for the South Korean national team trials He personally coached young skaters at the Korea National Sport University after the 2022 Beijing Olympics 138 Among them seven players from high school and Korea National Sport University wrote him as a leader on the application form for participation in the national team trials 139 140 This is Ahn s first official South Korean leadership acitivity 138 Conflict with mentor Edithis issue that has been consistently mentioned due to Ahn s choice of naturalization in Russia is the issues of conflict with his mentor Jeon Myung kyu vice president of the Korea Skating Union According to Korean medias Professor Jeon was the planner of all Ahn s career paths However Ahn disobeyed the professor Jeon s words 99 25 In 2014 his father and Lee Joon ho who was the former coach of the national team said the following Ahn was set to graduate from Korea National Sport University in 2007 Ahn chose the Seongnam City Hall Short track team that Professor Jeon did not want and the relationship between Professor Jeon and Ahn was estranged 99 63 During the Olympics Jang Myung hee former president of the Korea Skating Union also said that Vice President Jeon Myung kyu had abused his authority and Ahn was disadvantaged 21 In fact the conflict with factional leaders was also mentioned by the South Korean media in 2010 20 75 In March 2014 Professor Jeon stepped down as vice president of the Korean Skaters Union 141 However in 2014 Ahn and the Korea Skating Union denied any conflicts or factional issues 99 100 The assault of the women s short track team coach during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and the athletes discord over women s speed skating factions raised the issue of the responsibility of Samsung which had sponsored the Korea Skating Union and the Korea Skating Union The Korea Skating Union was investigated by the government including the Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism 23 142 Viktor Ahn and Professor Jeon have returned to the agenda 143 144 However in February 2018 Viktor Ahn sent a text message to South Korean Culture Sports and Tourism Committee Member of parliament Ahn Min seok Ahn Min seok said that Ahn hyun soo has a good relationship with Professor Jeon Myung kyu and released it to the South Korean media 142 145 In March 2022 Viktor Ahn said Yonhap News Agency in an interview that he had never been disadvantaged by the Korean Skating Union 76 Style Edit Ahn is a master of short track speed skating particularly in controlling the track during competition Wu Dajing 59 In terms of his racing strategy when he s following the other skaters he s not really just following He s always waiting for that perfect chance to pass Chae Ji hoon 146 Viktor Ahn as he s now called is the most beautiful short track skating athlete in the world in terms of his technique and the way he skates If there is any athlete that is designed for short track body type wise it is him If you watch him stand and jog his pelvic is tilted forward naturally which is perfect for a skater He has incredible technique tons of experience Apolo Anton Ohno 147 148 Awards and honors EditRepresenting Korea Ahn was awarded the Outstanding Player Award at the Sports Chosun Coca Cola Sports Awards in January 2006 149 After his victory in Torino he was selected as Player of the Month by the American Sports Academy 150 He was also named as honorary ambassador for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics bidding committee with Jin Sun yu 151 In 2008 Ahn was selected as the Most Valuable Player with Lee Kyou hyuk and Yuna Kim by the Korea Skating Union 152 In the same year he also received the Men s Team Award at the Asian Sports Awards 153 with Lee Ho seok Song Suk woo Oh Se jong and Seo Ho jin Ahn was chosen as the ambassador for the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation in 2009 154 Representing Russia In March 2013 Ahn was named as Merited Master of Sport by the Russian Federation 155 156 After his feat in Sochi Ahn was awarded the Order For Merit to the Fatherland from Russian President Vladimir Putin 157 and the Medal For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms 158 156 He was also selected Most Valuable Player in the Sochi Winter Olympics by NBC 159 160 and 2014 Athlete of the Year by the Russian edition of GQ magazine 161 5 In light of his status as a South Korean born Russian Ahn was further named as honorary ambassador for the 2014 2015 Korea Russia Year of Mutual Visit in 2014 162 In 2016 Ahn received the Proud Alumnus Award at his alma mater 163 164 He was also inducted into the Korea National Sports University Ice Rink Hall of Fame as the 2006 Winter Olympics champion and the Sochi Walk of Fame as the 2014 Winter Olympics champion 165 166 Personal life EditAhn is married to Woo Nari Korean 우나리 a Korean born in 1983 167 168 Nari was a member of Ahn s fan club Ahn said that her presence and care helped him adapt to Russia 169 170 Their daughter was born in December 2015 171 172 But his wife Woo Nari couldn t endure the life in Russia and missed South Korea so eventually left Russia The Russian media reported that his wife wanted to raise their daughter in South Korea and Viktor Ahn s choice to go to South Korea was influenced by his wife 128 132 Ahn s younger brother is speed skater Ahn Hyun Jun He made the Korean national speed skating team for the 2022 23 season 173 The younger Ahn switched from short track to speed skating in 2021 174 Russian citizenship Edit Vladimir Putin and Ahn after the 2014 Olympics Ahn trained in Russia and received Russian citizenship to compete for Russia in the 2014 Winter Olympics Ahn s father stated that the decision was due to lack of support from the South Korean skating association 175 Prior to moving to Russia Ahn did not know the Russian language and had no familial ties to Russia He had considered competing for the United States but found that the process for gaining Russian citizenship was much easier He chose Viktor as his Russian name as it derived from Victory 176 and to pay tribute to Viktor Tsoi a Soviet rock star of ethnic Korean descent 177 53 In South Korea fury erupted over the loss of Ahn to Team Russia after his participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics Several newspapers reported the scorn of the South Korean public and newspaper editors on the actions of the skating federation Right after the Olympics the Minister of Sports and President Park Geun hye of South Korea both promised action in rooting out corruption and feuding at the organization that may have led to Ahn s defection in a bid to clean it up in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea In September 2018 Ahn announced his retirement from short track and moved back to South Korea 178 The South Korean public was generally supportive of Ahn in early 2014 177 179 but he also received online bashing amidst controversies at Sochi and in later years 180 181 In 2023 Ahn sought a coaching position in South Korea despite having renounced his South Korean citizenship when becoming Russian He was denied that position due to significant public opposition 15 Notes EditHe can restore his South Korean nationality under the South Korean nationality law a 182 In 2003 at the age of 17 he was exempted from military service by winning three gold medals at the Asian Games and finished his four weeks of basic military training in 2010 For sports personnels who are exempted from active duty are recognized to have completed 34 months of military service if they have spent time as atheletes in their field 183 In September 2018 A South Korean Ministry of National Defense official said in an interview with South Korean media Ahn hyun soo has already completed his military service 183 But if Ahn gets his South Korean citizenship back he has to renounce his Russian citizenship 182 South Korean nationality law Article 9 Acquisition of Nationality through Reinstatement of Nationality 1 A foreigner who was a national of the Republic of Korea may acquire the nationality of the Republic of Korea through obtaining permission of reinstatement of nationality by the Minister of Justice 2 The Minister of Justice shall not allow the reinstatement of nationality to a person who falls under any of the following subparagraphs after screening such person who has applied for the reinstatement of nationality 1 A person who has inflicted harm on the State or society 2 A person whose conduct is disorderly 3 A person who lost or renounced his her nationality of the Republic of Korea in order to evade military service 4 A person for whom the Minister of Justice regards the reinstatement of his her nationality as inappropriate for the purposes of national security sustainment of order or public welfare In the media EditIn the 2010 2011 season Ahn served as a short track commentator for SBS Sports He covered the World Cup series 3 6 and the World Championships 184 185 From 2014 to 2016 he guest starred in three episodes of Russia s late night talk show Evening Urgant episodes S3 E90 S4 E104 S5 E157 186 From 2017 to 2018 Ahn guest starred in the South Korean variety reality show The Return of Superman episodes 202 204 237 241 with his daughter 187 In 2018 he starred in the South Korean variety reality show Real Man 300 episodes 1 15 18 110 188 Other television appearances of Ahn are as follows Han Su jin s Sunday Click South Korean talk show with Jin Sun yu episode 49 189 Human Docu Love South Korean documentary with wife Woo Nari episodes 44 45 190 191 Live Talk Show Taxi South Korean talk show with wife Woo Nari episode 488 192 Detailed results EditOlympics results Edit Competition Location Date Rank Event Record Notes Video2002 Winter Olympics a Salt Lake Ice Center 13 23 February 2002 13 1500 m 2 23 287 min 193 DSQ b 4 1000 m 1 32 519 min 194 195 500 m DNS 5000 m relay DSQ DNS2006 Winter Olympics Torino Palavela February 13 2006 1 1500 m 2 25 341 min 196 197 198 February 19 2006 1 1000 m 1 26 739 min 49 Former OR 199 February 25 2006 3 500 m 42 089 s 200 February 25 2006 1 5000 m relay 6 43 376 min 50 Former OR 201 2014 Winter Olympics Iceberg Skating Palace February 10 2014 3 1500 m 2 15 062 min 202 February 15 2014 1 1000 m 1 25 325 min 203 204 February 21 2014 1 500 m 41 312 s 205 206 207 February 21 2014 1 5000 m relay 6 42 100 min 208 Former OR 209 210 Senior Debut 2002 Winter Olympics Salt Lake Ice Center Semifinal World Championships Edit Six time Overall world champion 20 world titles 18 gold medals Event Gold Silver Bronze podiumsOverall 6 x 1 x 7500m 1 x 2 x 31000m 4 x 3 x 71500m 4 x 1 x 53 000 m a 2 3 2 7 distances 14 x 5 x 3 x 22 29 relay 4 x 2 x 6Total 18 20 7 10 3 5 28 35 super final involving eight competitors with highest points after completion of other distances 2002 2nd 2003 1st 2004 1st 2005 2nd 2006 DSQ 2007 2nd 2013 7th 2014 3rd 2017 3rd The 3000m Super Final is not awarded a medal but the ranking and record are recognized Overall and individual distances podiums No Date Competition Location Overall Rank Points Event Record1 5 7 April 2002 2002 Montreal 211 2 42 points 2 21 1000m 1 31 435 min 2 21 3000m 5 19 170 min2 19 21 March 2003 2003 Warsaw 212 1 89 points 2 21 1000m 1 28 450 min 1 34 1500m 2 25 271 min 1 34 3000m 4 58 297min3 19 21 April 2004 2004 Gothenburg 213 1 102 points 1 34 1000m 1 26 813 min 1 34 1500m 2 16 376 min 1 34 3000m 5 03 670 min4 5 6 March 2005 2005 Beijing 214 1 89 points 3 13 500m 42 185s 2 21 1000m 1 30 206 min 1 34 1500m 2 14 396 min 2 21 3000m 5 15 326 min5 29 31 March 2006 2006 Minneapolis 215 1 68 points 1 34 1000m 1 27 631 min 1 34 1500m 2 20 572 min6 9 11 March 2007 2007 Milan 216 1 81 points 3 13 500m 41 625s 1 34 1000m 1 27 177 min 3 13 1500m 3 22 818 min 2 21 3000m 4 55 414 min 14 16 March 2013 2013 Debrecen 217 6 23 points 2 21 500m 41 995s7 2 3000m 5 07 087 min7 14 16 March 2014 2014 Montreal 218 1 63 points 4 8 500m 41 207s 1 34 1000m 1 25 446 min4 8 1500m 2 15 393 mins 3 13 3000m 5 12 334 min 10 12 March 2017 2017 Debrecen 219 7 23 points 7 2 500m 42 031s4 8 1500m 2 17 057min 3 13 3000m 5 07 087 minRelay and Team Podiums Relaydate Competition Location rank record5 7 April 2002 2002 Montreal 1 7 10 751 min19 21 March 2003 2003 Warsaw 1 6 55 975 min19 21 April 2004 2004 Gothenburg 1 6 48 133 min5 6 March 2005 2005 Beijing 2 6 40 020 min9 11 March 2007 2007 Milan 1 6 55 399 min14 16 March 2013 2013 Debrecen 2 6 51 953 minTeam South Koreadate Competition Location rank29 30 March 2002 Team 2002 Milwaukee 315 16 March 2003 Team 2003 Sofia 213 14 March 2004 Team 2004 Saint Petersburg 15 6 March 2005 Team 2005 Chuncheon 225 26 March 2006 Team 2006 Montreal 117 18 March 2007 Team 2007 Budapest 2World Cup Edit 2 times Overall World Cup winner 6 time individual distances World Cup winner 67 World Cup victories World Cup RankingEvent 1st 2nd 3rd podiumsOverall 2 3 1 6500m 2 1 1 41000m 2 4 1 71500m 2 4 1 7Total 8 12 4 24World Cup medalsEvent gold Silver bronze podiumsOverall 7 3 6 16500m 6 4 2 121000m 13 10 5 281500m 16 7 5 283000m 6 6 2 14distances 48 30 20 98Relay 19 7 6 32medals 67 x 37 x 26 x 130Total 75 x 49 x 30 x 154World Cup Ranking Podiums season Overall 500m 1000m 1500m2002 03 2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd2003 04 1st 2nd 1st 1st2004 05 3rd 2nd 2nd2005 06 1st 1st 2nd 1st2007 08 2nd 1st 2nd2012 13 2nd 2nd2013 14 2nd 1st 2nd 3rdPodiums 6 4 7 7Total 24International competitions Edit No Date Competition Location Rank Event Record1 6 8 Jan 2002 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon 1 Overall 220 2 6 8 Jan 2002 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon 1 1000 m 221 1 33 130 min3 6 8 Jan 2002 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon 1 1500 m 2 28 988 min4 6 8 Jan 2002 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon 3 1500 m S F 2 38 066 min5 6 8 Jan 2002 2002 World Junior Championships Chuncheon 1 2000 m relay 2 46 852 min6 18 20 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon Overall7 18 20 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon 500 m 43 471 s8 18 20 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon 1000 m 1 30 632 min9 18 20 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon 1500 m 2 27 038 min10 18 20 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Chuncheon 3000 m S F 5 00 322 min11 25 27 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Beijing 1500 m 2 32 444 min12 25 27 Oct 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Beijing 3000 m S F 5 01 814 min13 29 Nov 1 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg Overall14 29 Nov 1 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg 1500 m 2 20 100 min15 29 Nov 1 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg 3000 m S F 5 10 828 min16 29 Nov 1 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Saint Petersburg 5000 m relay 7 02 015 min17 6 8 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Bormio Overall18 6 8 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Bormio 1000 m 1 28 150 min19 6 8 Dec 2002 2002 03 ISU World Cup Bormio 3000 m S F 5 03 094 min20 6 7 Feb 2003 2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori 222 1 1000 m 1 31 142 min21 6 7 Feb 2003 2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori 1 1500 m 2 30 345 min22 6 7 Feb 2003 2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori 1 5000 m relay 7 04 009 min23 17 19 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Calgary Overall24 17 19 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Calgary 1000 m 25 17 19 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Calgary 1500 m 2 17 648 min26 17 19 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Calgary 3000 m S F 27 17 19 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Calgary 5000 m relay 6 49 011 min28 23 25 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Michigan Overall29 23 25 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Michigan 500 m 42 946 s30 23 25 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Michigan 1000 m 1 26 532 min31 23 25 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Michigan 1500 m 2 10 639 min Former WR 32 23 25 Oct 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Michigan 5000 m relay 6 48 598 min33 28 30 Nov 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Jeonju Overall34 28 30 Nov 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Jeonju 1500 m 2 22 686 min35 28 30 Nov 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Jeonju 3000 m S F 4 53 270 min36 28 30 Nov 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Jeonju 5000 m relay 7 04 115 min37 5 7 Dec 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Beijing Overall38 5 7 Dec 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Beijing 1000 m 1 27 554 min39 5 7 Dec 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Beijing 1500 m 2 11 586 min40 5 7 Dec 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Beijing 3000 m S F 4 32 646 min Former WR 41 5 7 Dec 2003 2003 04 ISU World Cup Beijing 5000 m relay 6 56 318 min42 6 8 Feb 2004 2003 04 ISU World Cup Mlada Boleslav Overall43 6 8 Feb 2004 2003 04 ISU World Cup Mlada Boleslav 1000 m 1 27 738 min44 6 8 Feb 2004 2003 04 ISU World Cup Mlada Boleslav 1500 m 2 20 136 min45 6 8 Feb 2004 2003 04 ISU World Cup Mlada Boleslav 3000 m S F 4 51 475 min46 22 24 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Harbin Overall47 22 24 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Harbin 1000 m 1 27 907 min48 22 24 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Harbin 1500 m 2 22 414 min49 22 24 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Harbin 3000 m S F 4 59 733 min50 22 24 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Harbin 5000 m relay 6 54 483 min51 29 31 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Beijing Overall52 29 31 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Beijing 500 m 42 486 s53 29 31 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Beijing 1000 m 1 27 213 min54 29 31 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Beijing 1500 m 2 20 330 min55 29 31 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Beijing 3000 m S F 5 05 539 min56 29 31 Oct 2004 2004 05 ISU World Cup Beijing 5000 m relay 6 45 627 min57 19 22 Jan 2005 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck 3 1000 m 1 28 329 min58 19 22 Jan 2005 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck 1 1500 m 2 26 991 min59 19 22 Jan 2005 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck 1 3000m S F 4 39 485 min60 19 22 Jan 2005 2005 Winter Universiade Innsbruck 1 5000 m relay 6 55 561 min61 4 6 Feb 2005 2004 05 ISU World Cup Budapest 1500 m 2 25 603 min62 10 12 Feb 2005 2004 05 ISU World Cup Spisska Nova Ves Overall63 10 12 Feb 2005 2004 05 ISU World Cup Spisska Nova Ves 1000 m 1 32 901 min64 10 12 Feb 2005 2004 05 ISU World Cup Spisska Nova Ves 3000 m S F 5 15 453 min65 10 12 Feb 2005 2004 05 ISU World Cup Spisska Nova Ves 5000 m relay 6 46 960 min66 30 Sep 2 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou Overall67 30 Sep 2 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou 500 m 41 933 s68 30 Sep 2 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou 1000 m 1 26 466 min69 30 Sep 2 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou 1500 m 2 20 254 min70 30 Sep 2 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou 3000 m S F 5 08 219 min71 30 Sep 2 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hangzhou 5000 m relay 6 52 067 min72 7 9 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Seoul Overall73 7 9 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Seoul 1000 m 1 27 833 min74 7 9 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Seoul 1500 m 2 19 783 min75 7 9 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Seoul 3000 m S F 5 38 708 min76 7 9 Oct 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Seoul 5000 m relay 6 47 235 min77 11 13 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Bormio Overall78 11 13 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Bormio 500 m 41 994 s79 11 13 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Bormio 3000 m S F 5 44 712 min80 11 13 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Bormio 5000 m relay 6 50 460 min81 18 20 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hague Overall82 18 20 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hague 500 m 42 745 s83 18 20 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hague 1000 m 1 28 889 min84 18 20 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hague 1500 m 2 26 838 min85 18 20 Nov 2005 2005 06 ISU World Cup Hague 5000 m relay 6 59 694 min86 20 22 Oct 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Changchun 1000 m 1 34 685 min87 20 22 Oct 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Changchun 1500 m 2 20 432 min88 20 22 Oct 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Changchun 5000 m relay 6 50 466 min89 27 29 Oct 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Jeonju 1000 m 1 33 157 min90 27 29 Oct 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Jeonju 1500 m 2 19 737 min91 27 29 Oct 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Jeonju 5000 m relay 6 57 552 min92 1 3 Dec 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Saguenay 1000 m 1 28 815 min93 1 3 Dec 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Saguenay 5000 m relay 6 53 897 min94 8 10 Dec 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Montreal 1500 m 1 2 17 510 min95 8 10 Dec 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Montreal 1500 m 2 2 17 328 min96 8 10 Dec 2006 2006 07 ISU World Cup Montreal 5000 m relay 6 50 095 min97 29 31 Jan 2007 2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun 1 1000 m 223 1 29 085 min98 29 31 Jan 2007 2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun 2 1500 m 224 2 20 679 min99 29 31 Jan 2007 2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun 1 5000 m relay 225 6 44 839 min100 19 21 Oct 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Harbin 1000 m 1 28 383 min101 19 21 Oct 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Harbin 1500 m 2 17 947 min102 19 21 Oct 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Harbin 5000 m relay 226 7 00 481 min103 26 28 Oct 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Kobe 1000 m 1 28 567 min104 26 28 Oct 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Kobe 1500 m 2 23 225 min105 26 28 Oct 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Kobe 5000 m relay 227 7 00 481 min106 23 25 Nov 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Heerenveen 1000 m 1 24 385 min107 23 25 Nov 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Heerenveen 1500 m 2 21 218 min108 23 25 Nov 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Heerenveen 5000 m relay 6 59 774 min109 30 Nov 2 Dec 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Turin 1000 m 1 27 469 min110 30 Nov 2 Dec 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Turin 1500 m 2 19 458 min111 30 Nov 2 Dec 2007 2007 08 ISU World Cup Turin 5000 m relay 6 55 133 min112 19 21 Oct 2012 2012 13 ISU World Cup Calgary 1000 m 1 24 519 min113 19 21 Oct 2012 2012 13 ISU World Cup Calgary 5000 m relay 6 45 124 min114 30 Nov 2 Dec 2012 2012 13 ISU World Cup Nagoya 1000 m 1 28 344 min115 7 9 Dec 2012 2012 13 ISU World Cup Shanghai 1000 m 1 25 055 min116 7 9 Dec 2012 2012 13 ISU World Cup Shanghai 1500 m 2 17 736 min117 18 20 Jan 2013 2013 European Championships Malmo 3 500 m 41 432 s118 18 20 Jan 2013 2013 European Championships Malmo 2 1000 m 1 26 787 min119 18 20 Jan 2013 2013 European Championships Malmo 1 5000 m relay 6 51 293 min120 1 3 Feb 2013 2012 13 ISU World Cup Sochi 5000 m relay 6 53 585 min121 8 10 Feb 2013 2012 13 ISU World Cup Dresden 1000 m 1 25 824 min122 8 10 Feb 2013 2012 13 ISU World Cup Dresden 1500 m 2 18 543 min123 8 10 Feb 2013 2012 13 ISU World Cup Dresden 5000 m relay 6 45 090 min124 26 29 Sep 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Shanghai 1500 m 2 15 110 min125 3 6 Oct 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Seoul 500 m 40 764 s126 3 6 Oct 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Seoul 1000 m 1 27 683 min127 3 6 Oct 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Seoul 1500 m 2 16 922 min128 7 10 Nov 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Turin 500 m 40 935 s129 7 10 Nov 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Turin 1000 m 1 23 487 min130 7 10 Nov 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Turin 5000 m relay 6 45 229 min131 14 17 Nov 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Kolomna 500 m 40 856 s132 14 17 Nov 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Kolomna 1500 m 2 18 730 min133 14 17 Nov 2013 2013 14 ISU World Cup Kolomna 5000 m relay 6 48 676 min134 17 19 Jan 2014 2014 European Championships span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 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