Yonhap News Agency reported on the 20th that Ahn Hyun-so (Russian name Victor An), who was the hero of the South Korean short-track speed skating team and has just stepped down as China's short-track speed skating coach, frankly said in an exclusive interview with a Yonhap reporter on the 19th that it may only be possible to give up short-track speed skating to calm down various controversies.
According to the report, Ahn Hyun-so was interviewed by Yonhap News Agency in Seoul a few days ago, confiding his heart on various controversies surrounding himself, and frankly answering the reasons for coaching the Chinese team.
Ahn Hyun-so is interviewed by Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on March 19
Regarding the acquisition of Russian nationality, Ahn Hyun-so said: At that time, the Seongnam City Department, which belonged to the team, was dissolved due to financial problems, and he was questioned because of his injury and illness. But at that time, Russia threw an olive branch and was full of sincerity, so it chose to accept the invitation. He stressed that he had not been treated unfairly at home, that relations with the South Korean Ice Alliance were not strained, and that he had not become Russian because of so-called "factional struggles." As a short-track speed skater, he chose to naturalize in order to continue to engage in the sport in a good environment, and becoming the technical coach of the Chinese team was also a decision made with the same standards. He said he had considered making a comeback in the 2019-2020 season, but found physical problems after the first round of the World Championships. When he was determined to say goodbye to the field, he received an "olive branch" from the Chinese team.
The report went on to say that when deciding whether to consider the dissatisfaction of the South Korean people before coaching the Chinese team, Ahn Hyun-so said that he was only able to better engage in short-track speed skating. This time it was only the best choice he could choose, and the rest would not be considered.
Yonhap News Agency said that when asked about the "controversial penalty" of the South Korean short track speed skating team at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Ahn Hyun-so said that short track speed skating is a project that may be controversial at any time. The short track speed skating format allows for physical contact between athletes, so the referee's decision has an absolute impact. All players are careful, but even so, unexpected situations often occur during the course of the game.
The report also mentioned that after the Beijing Winter Olympics, Ahn Hyun-so received a four-year contract invitation from other countries, but he chose to return to South Korea. He said that in 2020, he has been staying in China due to the epidemic, has not been able to return to South Korea to reunite with his family, and will be a father and husband in a short period of time. Regarding the huge controversy caused in China by his wife's personal brand official website for marking Taiwan as a "country", Ahn Hyun-so said that he was on vacation in South Korea at the time, which was completely unexpected and could only be said to be very sorry. He confessed that after the Olympic Games, there will be various reports every day, like he is a full-fledged "sinner", feeling that he can only calm all the controversy by giving up short track speed skating.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn Hyun-so's athletic career is brilliant. In 2006, at the age of 21, Ahn Hyun-so won 3 gold and 1 bronze at his second Winter Olympics. This not only made him the athlete who won the most medals at the Turin Winter Olympics, but also revered as the well-deserved "brother" of the Korean short track speed skating team. But he renounced all his honors in South Korea and became a Russian citizen in 2011, becoming the "Victor Ann" of the Russian short track speed skating team. Despite the huge controversy this behavior caused at home, Ahn Hyun-so rose to three gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and became a Russian short-track speed skating hero.
The report continued, but Ahn Hyun-so's sports career in Russia was not long. Although he wanted to use the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a stage for retirement, he was disqualified due to doping-related events in Russia and retired in April 2020. When Ahn Hyun-so returns to the ice rink, he has transformed into a coach and is in charge of South Korea's biggest rival, China. This undoubtedly made him bear the infamy. During the Beijing Winter Olympics, he was seen as a "traitor." Even though the Beijing Winter Olympics have come to an end, Ahn Hyun-so is still on the cusp of public opinion. Ahn Hyun-so admits that the reason for coaching the Chinese team is the same as joining Russian nationality. He said that every time he stood at the crossroads of life, he would make the same choice with the same standards. I know that I can't get away from short track speed skating, and I choose the path of life in this way. Therefore, he will become a Russian citizen in 2011, and the same is true for coaching the Chinese team.