Russian Skating Federation "Victor An to Retire from Athletic Career"

Victor An Conveys in Letter to Skating Federation "Struggling to Maintain Physical Condition Due to Persistent Injuries"

Former Russian Short Track Speed Skating Team Member Viktor An / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] Viktor An (35, Ahn Hyun-soo), a short track speed skater who naturalized as a Russian citizen, has expressed his intention to retire.

On the 27th (local time), according to Russian local media 'Sputnik' and 'Moscow Times', Alexey Krafchov, president of the Skating Federation, stated, "Viktor An, who is in Seoul, sent a letter saying he has decided to end his athletic career."

In the letter, Viktor An said, "Along with continuous knee injuries, other wounds have appeared," and added, "It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a physical condition capable of playing sports. Therefore, I have decided to retire from sports."

Previously, Viktor An won three gold medals at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics as a South Korean national. However, he later became embroiled in factional disputes within the domestic skating community, leading to his exclusion from the national team selection. In 2010, his team, Seongnam City Hall, was disbanded due to financial problems, disrupting his training.

Ultimately, Viktor An gave up his South Korean nationality in 2011 and acquired Russian citizenship. Subsequently, he competed as a member of the Russian national team at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, winning three gold medals.

However, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, he was unable to participate due to being implicated in the Russian national team's systematic doping scandal.

At that time, Viktor An protested to the International Olympic Committee, stating, "I have never taken banned substances," and "There is no solid evidence that I should be banned from participating (in the Olympics)," but his appeal was not accepted.

Afterward, Viktor An announced his retirement in September 2018, returned to South Korea, and later hinted that he might go back to Russia to prepare for participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.