Ah, are you talking about Lin Xiaojun?”
This is the answer that came back when I asked Hwang Dae-heon (24, Gangwon-do Office), a short track gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, about ‘Lim Hyo-jun’.
Hwang Dae-heon was appointed as the event’s public relations ambassador at the ‘2023 International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Championships’ public relations ambassador appointment ceremony held at the Genesis BBQ Group International Conference Room in Songpa-gu, Seoul on the 9th.
Hwang Dae-heon, who won the men’s 1500m gold medal and 5000m relay silver medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics last year, gave up the Taegeuk mark for the 2022-2023 season due to poor physical condition. Although he will not be able to participate in the championships to be held on the 10th and 12th of next month at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul, he has decided to take on the task of promoting the event.
During the Q&A following the appointment ceremony, Hwang Dae-heon was asked, “Im Hyo-joon played an active part in the recent Short Track World Cup. We will have to face each other someday. How did you see it?” In response, he asked back, “Are you talking about Lin Xiaojun?” and then said, “They are all players representing their respective countries. I focus on my game rather than focusing on a specific player.” Then he said, “I always do my best when I am on the start line.” 메이저놀이터
Hwang Dae-heon and Lin Xiaojun were friends in the short track team in the past. However, Lin Xiaojun was in a legal battle for taking down his pants during training at the Jincheon National Training Center. Although acquitted by the Supreme Court, Lin Xiaojun, who was suspended for one year for the case, chose to become a naturalized Chinese citizen under the judgment that it would be difficult to participate in the Beijing Olympics.
According to the Olympic Charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Lin Shaojun was unable to participate in the Beijing Olympics, which states that “to change nationality and participate in the Olympics, three years must pass after the international competition in which he participated in the previous nationality.” On the 6th, he won his first gold medal in the individual event at an international competition for the first time since naturalization in China. After winning the men’s 500m final at the 5th Short Track World Cup, Lin Xiaojun posted on Weibo, “We are the Chinese team.”
Hwang Dae-heon expressed his will to participate in the competition as a national team again next season. He said, “I am improving my physical condition little by little,” and “I am in the process of making it well so that I can show a good image in good condition in the upcoming representative selection match.”
Hwang Dae-heon said, “I feel proud that anyone can win first place in the Korean short track. When my teammates get good grades, it motivates me,” he said. He continued, “It’s unfortunate that I can’t go to the World Championships this year, but next season I will do my best as a player, not as an ambassador.”