| 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 |
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]
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 Korea as a short track leader. 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.[13][14] However, since his change in 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. Some Korean coaches have formed The Korea Skating Coaches' Union and 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".[15][16] and He was criticized by the public for betraying his country by transferring Korean sports skills to Russia and China. Ahn was eventually denied the coaching position due to significant public opposition.[17]
After being denied his position as Seongnam City Hall coach due to strong public opposition, Ahn explained the controversy he knew about his loss of nationality in advance and receives a full Olympic medal pension prior to Russian naturalization. he said: "I donated every pension I had received prior to naturalization". According to his explanation and a Korean ice skating official mentioned in Chosun Ilbo shortly thereafter, the entire lump sum pension he received was spent on rehabilitating "children who needed heart surgery and Korean junior players".[18][19] And he make his first start as a Korean Sports leader, being named as a coach in the 2023–2024 national team trials at the request of his juniors. The Korea Skating Union officially announced this through Yonhap News Agency, and the Korean media reported it collectively.[20]
- ^ a b "Viktor An". Olympedia. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Biographical data for: Viktor An". shorttrackonline.info. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ "1500m Men World Record Progression". International Skating Union. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "3000m Men World Record Progression". International Skating Union. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Victor An at the International Skating Union.
- ^ International Olympic Committee (March 31, 2021). "Happier Ahn makes short track history". olympics.com. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "Most Overall Titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (individual)". guinnessworldrecords.com. Guinness World Records. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ a b OlympicTalk (April 27, 2020). "Viktor Ahn, greatest Olympic short track speed skater, retires again". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Kim, Young-rok (January 9, 2012). "[집중기획] '쇼트트랙 황제'가 청년백수로…"안현수를 원하는 곳이 없었다"" [From 'short track emperor' to the unemployed - no team wanted to accept Ahn Hyun-soo]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Kim, Narae (February 16, 2014). "Ahn's gold hard for South Koreans to swallow". Reuters. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ Inside the Games FISU (September 28, 2020). "Universiade Legends: Viktor Ahn". Inside the Games. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ NBC OlympicTalk (August 25, 2020). "Viktor Ahn the latest Olympic star to coach Chinese athletes ahead of Beijing 2022". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Yonhap News Agency (January 12, 2023). "Victor An applies for coaching job in motherland". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ Kim, So-hyun (January 11, 2023). "Viktor An seeks to return as coach in Korea". The Korea Herald. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ Kim, Yumin (January 14, 2023). ""Ahn Hyun-soo, a Russian who abandoned Korea" - League of Leaders' Criticism of Determination' ("안현수, 한국 버린 러시아인" 지도자연맹 '작심 비판')" (in Korean). Seoul Shinmun. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ Cho, Young-joon (January 13, 2023). "Ice Leaders Federation Statement Announced "Concerned about the return of leader Viktor Ahn"". SPOTV. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ Yonhap News Agency (January 29, 2023). "Ex-Russian short tracker Victor An misses out on coaching position in native S. Korea". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Young-ji, Jeon (February 7, 2023). "Ahn Hyun-soo, who finally opened his mouth, said: "Right after receiving the Olympic medal pension, naturalization in Russia is not true... the pension was fully donated." (마침내 입 연 안현수"연금수령→러 귀화 사실 아냐...연금은 전액기부")" (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Park, Dae-hyun (February 7, 2023). "'Can't return to Korea' Ahn Hyun-soo... "I donated all the pension I received"". SPOTV. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ Yoo Ji-ho (April 13, 2023). "Ex-Russian short track star Victor An to coach at S. Korean nat'l team trials". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved April 14, 2023.