Chinese media did not hide their anticipation for Lin Xiaojun (27, Korean name Lim Hyo-jun), who changed from a Korean short track speed skating hero to a Chinese hero.
On the 4th, China’s Sina Sports released a photo of Lin Xiaojun receiving a bouquet of flowers, saying, “Lin Xiaojun, who has been naturalized as a Chinese from Korea, will start his first World Championships on the 10th in Seoul.” Then, he added, “A short track team of five men and women, including Lin Shaojun, headed to Seoul,” adding that he announced the departure of his country’s short track team.
The Chinese national team, including Xiaojun Lin, will participate in the ‘KB Financial International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Championships 2023’ at the ice rink in Mok-dong, Seoul from the 10th to the 12th. This event, which concludes the six short track World Cups, is to determine the world’s best athlete and country in the short track event.
The Chinese short track team, including Lin Xiaojun, arrived at Incheon International Airport on the same day. Xiaojun Lin was naturalized in China in 2020 and left for China in 2021. It is like officially stepping on Korean soil in two years.
Xiaojun Lin has emerged as a national hero, winning the gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as ‘Lim Hyo-jun’. However, his fate changed in 2019 when he was accused of sexual harassment after playing with the pants of a teammate while playing for the Korean national team. 바카라
Xiaojun Lin was handed over to trial for exposing body parts and received a one-year suspension from the Korea Ice Skating Federation. However, Lin Xiaojun was acquitted after a court battle.
Lin Xiaojun left Korea and became a naturalized Chinese citizen. However, he was unable to play internationally right away. This is because of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulation that ‘in order for an athlete to change nationality and participate in the Olympics, three years must have passed since the international competition in which he participated in the previous nationality’.
It was only this season that Lin Xiaojun was able to wear the Chinese national team uniform and go on the international stage. Xiaojun Lin won her first individual medal and gold medal in the 500m event at the 5th Short Track Speed Skating World Cup held in Dresden, Germany last month.
Meanwhile, the country that won the most medals at the World Championships was Korea. Korea obtained a total of 254, both male and female. Among them, 109 were gold medals. In second place is Canada with 218. 68 gold medals. China is 3rd A total of 155 were collected and 67 were gold medals.