In South Korea, there is a former Winter Olympics star, but he is suffering from unprecedented difficulties and suffering.
Shen Xixi, a well-known short track speed skater, publicly accused that he had been sexually abused by coach Cho Jae-beom for a long time since he was 17 years old and lasted until he was 24 years old, experiencing a long seven-year nightmare in his life.
"The memories were so painful at that time, I just wanted to escape from reality." At the latest public trial, Shen Xixi choked back tears and looked back on the trauma he had suffered uncontrollably. As a young child, she was completely suppressed by the authority of her coach and helplessly endured the abusive behavior of "improving concentration". Cho Jae-beom defended this, saying: "It is a common practice in sports circles to control athletes with sexual relations."
The naked bullying and crime made the former "Winter Olympic Queen" so ashamed that she was embarrassed. On the eve of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Shen Xixi was sexually assaulted by his coach again, resulting in a concussion and unable to play normally. She was slapped more than 20 times just for having an extra peach for breakfast..."I was almost on the verge of breaking down. Shen Xixi said.
What is even more outrageous is that this "abuse management" system, which has been rampant in the sports world, has existed for many years but no one has paid attention to it. In the same vein as Shim Seok-hee, Choi Sok-hyun, a 22-year-old South Korean triathlete who had been beaten and bullied by her coach and teammates for a long time, eventually committed suicide.
It's so miserable, she is usually treated as a submissive training "meat foam", and she is beaten if she is disobedient. Once forced to eat vomit bread, Cui Shuxian finally couldn't stand the torture of this devastating person. An insider broke the news. Cui Shuxian called the police many times for help, but there was no way, and finally the career future that she had worked hard for was wiped out.
How long will this culture of violence that has been raging for years "kill" athletes exist? This is not only the personal tragedy of Shim Seok-hee and Choi Sok-hyun, but also reflects the systemic problem of the management system of South Korea's sports industry.
How important is a gold medal?
Behind every gold medal, there are the blood and tears of countless athletes. But South Korea's desperate pursuit of championships and medals has fostered a culture of "gold medal supremacy" in which athletes are trained violently and inhumanely.
"As long as you can get a gold medal, you can do whatever it takes." As a former national team coach, Yoon Han-joo has a deep understanding of this. He has seen too many violent incidents with his own eyes, such as the coach locking players in hot rooms for 48 hours and not drinking water in order to lose weight; If there is a small mistake, he is punished by "knee bending push-ups", and the muscles cramp and collapse on the playing field; Assaults like domestic violence are commonplace...
Power and violence form an invisible web that binds athletes to a system of extreme terror, dehumanizing and deprived of their fundamental rights. This is precisely the "cycle of violence" in South Korean sports.
"Why not just quit the "Gold Machine"? Quitting means that all the hard work will be wasted, and all the hard work will be wasted, and the lifelong dream will be aborted. Former professional athlete Jung Woo-kyung explained.
It's like a prisoner's dilemma, even if it's painful, people don't dare to leave easily. As a result, the vicious circle of violence, abuse, and sexual assault has continued to this day, pervading the entire sports world and becoming an "unspoken rule".
The pressure of external public opinion and the difficulty of litigation
Although Sim Seok-hee bravely stood up and publicly condemned Cho Jae-beom's crimes, the development of events was still unexpectedly difficult.
In the following years, Shen Xixi encountered career obstacles and social stigma, and countless people abused her on the Internet as a "stumbling girl" and "desecrated sports honor". What's even more terrifying is that Cho Jae-beom, as a member of a powerful coaching group, has strong connections behind him, which has caused the case to be repeatedly delayed.
"It's like fighting against a behemoth, it's hard to imagine." Shen Xixi's younger brother said, "They have not admitted any fault or apologized so far, causing secondary harm to my sister." "
It wasn't until last year, after years of litigation entanglements, that Cho Jae-beom was finally sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison by the court, finally putting an end to Shen Xixi's nightmare.
But the price is huge, Shen Xixi missed the Beijing Winter Olympics, and once upon a time, the "Queen of the Winter Olympics" was destined to drift away from the ice rink. Her career also ended early, and now she can only recover from physical and mental trauma by going to the hospital and taking medication every day.
"It's not what I wanted, but there's no other way." Shen Xixi said helplessly, "I just hope that through my own example, the sports world and society will pay attention to this issue."
What is the solution?
The tragedy of Shim Seok-hee and Choi Sok-hyun, although heartbreaking, is also a wake-up call for the South Korean sports community. The pressure and strong criticism of public opinion finally made the government and relevant departments realize the seriousness of the problem.
The Korea Sports Promotion Agency and the National Human Rights Commission formed a special investigation team to begin a comprehensive look at the issue of violence in sports. A year later, they finally came up with a management reform plan.
The main contents of the plan include: increasing the review and punishment of coaches, and establishing a long-term mechanism to protect the rights and interests of athletes; Implement a "cultural review" of the allocation of funds for sports to ensure that funds do not go to teams with a culture of violence; Expand the participation of athletes in the association and increase the right to speak...
"It's a start. The process of solving the problem will take a long time, but we want to get sport back on the right track. The person in charge of the Sports Promotion Agency said.
It is gratifying to note that in addition to the government-level rectification, some sports associations and sports coaches have also expressed their vows to completely ban violence and sexual assault, create a safe training environment, and cultivate a new generation of athletes with love and care.
"Sim Seok-hee and Choi Sok-hyun are the source of our courage, and their sacrifices will eventually lead to a new life in sports." Park Myung-sik, a well-known short track speed skating coach, said, "Pray that their souls will be comforted in heaven and that we will clear the way for them." "
A mechanism to protect the rights and interests of athletes is being established, and the pace of reform seems to have begun. However, reversing a long-established sports culture will not happen overnight. How much transformation does Korean sports, which were once regarded as a "rotten system", need to undergo before they can truly achieve equality of rights and respect for humanity? This tortuous road is still a long way to go, and it requires the concerted efforts of the whole society.
When Shen Xixi and Choi Shuxian were killed by their dreams of ice and snow, countless new forces were thriving, hoping to bloom a new sports culture in this arena.
At the end of the year, Wang Meng, the head coach of the Chinese short track speed skating team, took office, and he was determined to lead the team in his own way. Different from the traditional and rigorous training mode, Wang Meng pays more attention to equal communication with athletes and gives humanized care.
"I hope that through my influence, more people will be aware of the importance of sportsmanship. We sports people should play an exemplary role as pioneers to promote the development of the entire industry in the direction of civilization and morality. Kim Ahsan said.
South Korea and China, two ice and snow powers, are closely related to the fate of athletes, and they are both writing a new chapter of reform in their own way. Beijing, the world's leading stage, is the perfect time to test the reshaping of sports culture.
We hope that when the athletes bloom here, those deeply suppressed evils will eventually be forgotten by the new civilization. Let light and justice stay in the ice rink forever!