By Cho Mu-hyun
Short track speed skating star Ahn Hyun-soo will no longer bear the Korean insignia in competition.
The Russian Skating Union (RSU) said in a statement via their official website on Wednesday that President Dmitry Medvedev has signed off on an executive decree allowing three-time Olympic gold medalist Ahn to become a Russian citizen.
The 26-year-old is to receive his Russian passport in early January, and will automatically lose his Korean citizenship due to a local law prohibiting dual citizenship.
The RSU has reported that Ahn is overjoyed upon receiving the news saying, “I am happy to officially become a Russian citizen. I have waited for this moment for so long and now I can focus on training without worrying about procedural problems.”
He has chosen to take the name Viktor for its inherent meaning and stated his intention to become as widely known in his new country as half-Korean Russian rock legend Viktor Tsoi.
“We have sent the necessary papers to the International Skating Union (ISU) that allows Ahn to compete at international competitions as a Russian national team member,”said RSU President Aleksei Kravtsov. “(I) hope Ahn will make his debut on the Russian team in the European Championships to take place at Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic from Jan. 27 to 29 next year.”
Medvedev said he had “no doubt” that Ahn will “show his abilities” when he makes his debut for his new country.
Ahn, an accomplished skater, won three gold medals at the Turin Winter Olympic Games and was Overall World Champion five consecutive times from 2003 to 2007. He has won a total of 22 gold medals in his career to date.
Things became rocky when he was involved in a factional dispute in the Korean short track team in 2006, which involved his father Ahn Ki-won slapping Korea Skating Union (KSU) Vice President Kim Hyung-bum at Incheon International Airport.
He then suffered a severe knee injury in 2008 during training, which forced him to undergo four surgeries in 15 months, ultimately costing him his ticket to the 2010 Winter Games.
His troubles continued when his local team Seongnam City Hall dissolved due to financial problems, preventing him from competing domestically.
He went to Russia in June and stated his intention to apply for Russian citizenship on Aug. 17 via his website to become eligible to compete in the 2014 Winter Games, to take place in Sochi, Russia.