'Naturalized in China' Lim Hyo-jun to Miss Beijing Olympics... "No Request from Chinese Side for Participation Permission"

Short track former national team member Lim Hyo-jun. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] It has been revealed that the participation of short track gold medalist Lim Hyojun (Chinese name Lin Xiaojun), who naturalized to China, in the Beijing Olympics has become uncertain.

On the 15th, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced that by the deadline for the Winter Olympics long list (preliminary athlete roster), there was no separate request from the Chinese Skating Association to allow Lim Hyojun's participation. If the long list is not submitted, participation in the Olympics is practically impossible.

Previously, in June 2019, Lim Hyojun was prosecuted for forcibly molesting a same-sex junior teammate at the Jincheon National Training Center. In the first trial, he was found guilty and fined 3 million won, but the second trial and the Supreme Court acquitted him. However, Lim Hyojun received a one-year suspension of athlete qualification from the Korea Skating Union. He appealed for a retrial to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, but when the sanction was not withdrawn, he naturalized to China in June last year.

Lim Hyojun aimed to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics through naturalization, but according to Article 41, Paragraph 2 of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Charter, his participation has become more difficult. This regulation states that an athlete who changes nationality must wait three years after competing in an international competition under the previous nationality before participating in the Olympics.

Lim Hyojun competed as a Korean representative at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Championships on March 10, 2019. Therefore, he can participate as a Chinese representative in the Olympics only after March 10, 2022, but the Beijing Winter Olympics are held from February 4 to 20, 2022.

According to an exception clause, if the previous National Olympic Committee (NOC), the current NOC, and the relevant International Federation (IF) agree, the three-year waiting period can be shortened or canceled. However, the Chinese Olympic Committee took no action by the application deadline, which is interpreted as having no intention to allow Lim Hyojun to participate in the Olympics.

Earlier, Lim Hyojun was also excluded from the 2021-22 season male and female short track prohibited substance testing list submitted last month by the Chinese Skating Association to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). To participate in the first Short Track World Cup event held in Beijing, China, starting on the 21st of this month, passing a doping test is mandatory, but his name was omitted from the testing list, resulting in his participation being canceled.

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