According to Yonhap News Agency, An Hyun-so, who has just stepped down as the technical coach of the Chinese short track speed skating team, recently talked about the opportunity to join Russian nationality and coach the Chinese team in an exclusive interview with a Yonhap reporter recently. In the face of controversy, he said that perhaps only by abandoning short-track speed skating can it be calmed.
In 2002, Ahn Hyun-so made his first Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2006, at the age of 21, he won 3 gold and 1 bronze at his second Winter Olympics.
Data chart: On February 15, 2014, in the men's 1000m short track speed skating final at the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia won the championship and runner-up, and Ahn Hyun-so (right) won the gold medal in 1 minute 25 seconds 325 seconds. Photo by China News Service Tomita
After that, he gave up 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. Although this behavior caused great controversy in South Korea, Ahn Hyun-so won three gold medals under pressure at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and became a Russian short track speed skating "hero".
However, Ahn Hyun-so's sports career in Russia was not long. Although he wanted to use the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a retirement stage, he was disqualified due to the Russian doping incident and retired in April 2020.
Regarding the acquisition of Russian citizenship, Ahn Hyun-so said that the Seongnam City Department, which belonged at the time, 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 in South Korea, and that his relationship with the South Korean Ice Alliance was not tense, and that he had not become Russian because of the so-called "factional struggle." 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.
Deciding to coach the Chinese team, Ahn Hyun-so said that he was just trying to get better at short-track speed skating. This time it was only the best choice he could choose, and the rest would not be considered.
Data chart: On February 15, 2014, the short track speed skating men's 1000m final at the Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia won the championship and runner-up, and Ahn Hyun-so won the gold medal in 1 minute 25 seconds 325 seconds. The picture shows Ahn Hyun-so kissing the ice after victory. Photo by China News Service Tomita
Ahn Hyun-so says that every time he stands at a crossroads in his life, he makes choices by 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.
Ahn Hyun-so pointed out that short-track speed skating is a project that may be subject to penalty controversy 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.
After the Beijing Winter Olympics, Ahn Hyun-so received a four-year contract offer from other teams, but he chose to return to South Korea. He said that in 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, he was unable to return to South Korea to reunite with his family, and he will be a good father and husband in a short period of time.
He confessed that there will be various reports every day after the Winter Olympics, like he is a full-fledged "sinner", feeling that he can only calm all the controversy by giving up short track speed skating.