Ahn Hyun-soo (Russian name: Victor Ahn), former technical coach of the Chinese short track national team, is interviewing Yonhap News at a restaurant in Seoul on the 19th. yunhap news
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo (37, Russian name Victor Ahn) was a hero in the Korean short track.
At the age of 21, he won three gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he became the best ace of the Korean short track team.
However, coach Ahn suddenly became naturalized in Russia in 2011 and gave up all the honors he had built up in Korea.
Although many controversies arose in Korea over the cause of his naturalization in Russia, coach Ahn, who turned into a ‘Russian’, was successful.
Coach Ahn turned into a ‘Russian short track hero’ at once by winning three gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Life in Russia was not long.
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo made the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics his retirement stage, but was involved in Russia’s systematic doping scandal, and complained of his innocence, but in the end, he did not get permission from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and his participation was canceled in April 2020. finished quietly.
And in 2020. Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo unexpectedly returned to the ice with a five-star red flag. He was a coach, not a player.
Coach Ahn was appointed as the technical coach of the Chinese national team, the biggest rival of the Korean short track, and aimed at Korea.
As expected, coach Ahn received a lot of criticism from domestic fans.
During the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the controversy over the judgment of bias in the short track and anti-Chinese sentiments in Korea were added, which intensified the level of criticism.
The criticism aimed at coach Ahn continues to this day, a month after the Olympics ended.
Why did coach Ahn Hyeon-soo appear at the Beijing Olympics wearing a ‘five-star red flag’ and blame himself?
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo, who had never opened his mouth to questions from reporters, faced Yonhap News on the 19th and brought up a deep story.
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo, whom I met at a restaurant in Seoul, talked for about an hour and a half about the reason for accepting the Chinese national team’s offer and the criticism that was directed at him.
Coach Ahn also spoke candidly about various rumors surrounding him, as well as things that he had not been able to reveal in the past, such as the process of naturalization in Russia.
◇ Why did you join hands with China? ‘Short track more important than nationality’
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo said that in order to understand the background of being appointed as the coach of the Chinese national team, we need to look back at the process of naturalization in Russia.
Coach Ahn thinks that whenever he stands at a crossroads in his life, he always chooses by the same criteria.
When asked, “Why did you take on the Chinese national team?” he said, “I always thought of short track and chose my future path.
Regarding the background of naturalization in Russia, Coach Ahn said, “The ice skating team at Seongnam City Hall, the team I belonged to at the time, was disbanded due to financial problems, and I couldn’t get good results due to an injury. Because there were a lot of noisy issues surrounding it,” he explained.
“At this time, Russia made a good offer, and I chose it because I felt the sincerity.”
He reiterated, “I was not treated unfairly in Korea, and I did not have an uncomfortable relationship with the Korea Skating Federation,” he said.
It is said that he chose naturalization to continue his sports in a good environment as a short track skater.
Coach Ahn Hyun-soo said that when he was offered a job as a technical coach from China, he made the decision based on the same criteria.
Coach Ahn said, “I was thinking about whether to retire in 2018.” “After much consideration, I returned to the 2019-2020 season, but after the first World Cup, I was physically exhausted and hit a limit.”
“When I decided to retire, I got a call from China,” he said.
Public opinion didn’t care.
As always, he has chosen his life as a short track speed skater or coach.
When asked, “Have you not considered the anti-Chinese sentiment in Korea?”, Coach Ahn Hyun-soo said, “I made the best choice only to be good at sports.” “It was the same this time. It wasn’t,” he explained.
◇ Ahn Hyun-soo, the target of bias judgment and anti-Chinese sentiment… “It was hard, but I didn’t want to be an irresponsible person.”
In the short track speed track at the Beijing Winter Olympics, an unexpected situation occurred from the beginning of the opening. A series of decisions were made in favor of China.
The Chinese national team won the gold medal after advancing to the final in the 2,000m mixed relay, the first event of the short track, by an unfamiliar decision.
And the Korean national team Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Office) and Lee Jun-seo (Korea National University) were both disqualified from penalties in the men’s 1,000m semifinal.
Two Chinese players advanced to the final due to their elimination, and China’s Ren Ziwei also took the gold medal in the final by an ambiguous decision.
The controversy over short track bias has fueled domestic anti-Chinese sentiment. People from all over the sports world were outraged and criticized China.
Coach Ahn Hyun-soo had a bright expression at the time of the mixed relay, the first event, but the appearance was passed on to Korean fans, and he even heard the voice of ‘Baekook Noh’.
After that, Coach Ahn did not show any expression on the pitch. I couldn’t frown or rejoice.
“Actually, it was a very difficult time,” he said.
Coach Ahn said, “I tried to control myself.” “I didn’t want to express a difficult situation because I didn’t want to be an irresponsible person.”
He still expressed his beliefs about the judgment controversy.
Coach Ahn Hyun-soo said, “Due to the nature of the short track event, judgment problems can occur at any time.
He added, “All players come to the game with the mindset that they should be careful about decision issues, but when they play, things that aren’t expected often happen.”
◇ One month after the Olympics, the voices of criticism that continue… “I think it will end when I let go of everything”
Coach Ahn Hyun-soo’s contract with the Chinese national team expired after the Beijing Olympics.
Coach Ahn received a four-year long-term contract offer from another foreign national team shortly after the tournament, but he did not accept it and returned to Korea.
Coach Ahn said, “After leaving for China in 2020, I have never been to Korea (where my family resides) due to the aftermath of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). “I thought I should be faithful to the roles of father and husband.”
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo, who was reunited with his family after 21 months, quietly rested in Korea.
However, the accusations that seemed to have ceased continued incessantly.
Arrows of condemnation from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continued anti-Chinese sentiments were poured out on the Ahn Hyun-soo family.
Rumors that Ahn Hyeon-soo might be forcibly conscripted due to the invasion of Russia were a joke. It even led to criticism of Ahn Hyeon-soo being held responsible for the Russian invasion.
He was also involved in unexpected events.
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo’s wife, Unari Unari, ran a cosmetic company website that marked Taiwan as a country, but it was heavily criticized by Chinese netizens, and Coach Ahn had to post an apology.
Coach Ahn said, “I was resting in Korea, and I got a call saying something big had happened.
He added, “In addition, after the Olympics, various articles appeared every day.” He added, “I think I became a person who made a huge mistake.
Coach Ahn said, “I suddenly thought that this controversy would end if I suddenly gave up on the short track.” he confided
He couldn’t answer the question, ‘Do you regret living as a short track speed skater and coach?’
Coach Ahn Hyeon-soo said, “It was very difficult, but I still didn’t do what I wanted,” and then finished saying, “I don’t regret it. I won’t leave the short track.”
