Korean champion to continue in Russia

Korean short-track speed skater Ahn Hyun-soo, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, will leave for Russia this month to continue his career, the skater’s father said Tuesday.

Ahn Ki-won said the 25-year-old short tracker will stay in Russia for a year, “to study and to regroup” after several difficult years on the ice. The junior Ahn is scheduled to depart after the Korean national team trials this weekend. Even if Ahn performs well in the trials, he won’t join the national team and will still travel to Russia.

“He will enter the trials to show to local fans that he still has what it takes,” his father said.

The senior Ahn said Russian skating officials had been in talks with his son since January this year and the decision was reached in February. Under the deal, Ahn Hyun-soo will join a club run by a municipal government and will also train with the Russian national team.

A Korean national, Jang Kwon-ok, is a coach of the Russian team. But Ahn Ki-won said the presence of a Korean coach had nothing to do with his son’s move.

Yonhap