Ahn Hyun Soo
Encyclopedia
Ahn Hyun-Soo is a Short track speed skating
athlete from South Korea
. One of the most accomplished Short Track Speed Skaters of all time, Ahn won three gold medals and a bronze medal in 2006 Winter Olympics
held in Turin
, Italy
, becoming the most successful athlete there. He is also a five-time Overall World Champion
for 2003-2007.
in Lillehammer
where one of his heroes, Chae Ji-Hoon
, took gold in the 500 m and silver in the 1000 m for South Korea. His coach, Kim Ki-Hoon
, was a three-time Olympic gold medalist who scouted Ahn and continues to train him. He trains ten hours every day from techniques, speed, and endurance to video analysis.
at Salt Lake City, making the finals of the 1000 meter short course event but returned home without a medal after a controversial fall involving Apolo Ohno, Li Jiajun
and Mathieu Turcotte
allowed Australian Steve Bradbury to sweep the gold medal.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics, Ahn won gold medals in the 1500 m and 1000 m events. He set a new Olympic record
time of 1:26.739 in the 1000 m, finishing ahead of teammate Lee Ho-Suk
and rival Ohno. Ahn also won gold in Men's 5000 m relay along with teammates Lee Ho-Suk
(이호석), Seo Ho-Jin
, and Song Suk-Woo
. He became the second Korean athlete ever to win three gold medals in one Olympics. (Jin Sun-Yu
(진선유) accomplished this earlier on the same day.) He also won a bronze medal in the 500 m event.
Rarely taking the lead position throughout the entire race, Ahn's strategy is to follow the leaders, then sprint using an outside passing lane (or occasionally an inside passing lane if the opportunity arises) with only two or three laps to go. In the 5000 m relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics, Ahn made a brilliant pass around defending Olympic champion Canada on the final lap, helping Korea earn the victory. Sports commentators often refer to his "patented outside pass" due to its consistency and tremendous effectiveness.
Ahn Hyun Soo won a total of 4 medals in the 2006 Games, an unprecedented result by any athlete in his sport. He is the first Korean man to win at least 3 medals in a single Winter Olympics.
at his first senior-level world championship
competition the same year. He is the first male skater to achieve such feat. Despite being disqualified in the finals of the 500 m and 3000 m events at the 2006 World Championships
in Minneapolis, Ahn was able to claim the championship with victories in both the 1000 m and 1500 m events and became the overall world champion with 68 points followed by countryman Lee Ho-Suk
with 60 points.
Ahn is the only male short track skater to have won at least three consecutive world championships (having won five in a row); Canadian short track legend Marc Gagnon
has won four times, but his titles did not come back to back.
Ahn Hyun Soo finished first in the overall World Cup rankings during 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 seasons. He is also the current world record holder for 1500 m event.
At the World Championships
held in Milan, Italy from March 9 to March 11, 2007, Ahn won his fifth world championship, finishing first in the 1000 m and in the 5000 m relay with teammates, Sung Si-Bak
, Song Kyung-Taek
, and Kim Hyun-Kon
. He also won silver in the 3000 m behind countryman, Song Kyung-Taek, and won two bronze medals in the 500 m and the 1500 m. He is the first man to win five world championships.
, Ahn flew back to Korea. At the Incheon International Airport
, Ahn's father, Ahn Ki-Won, slapped the vice president of the Korean Skating Union (KSU), claiming that the coach that did not associate with Ahn and conspired with other skaters to prevent Ahn from winning the title of the overall champion.
The Korean short track team was split into two groups in which Ahn is coached by the women's coach due to conflicts with the men's coach. The tensions have risen so high that the skaters have refused to dine in the same room, sit next to each other on the plane, or even share the same floor with each other. Ahn and Lee Ho-Suk
used to attend the same high school together, and even shared a room last year in skating camps, but now rarely talk to each other. .
Ahn has mentioned on his personal website that the pressure is too much for him and he has thought of quitting the sport. Due to the issue, KSU has claimed that starting next season, the team will be united under one head coach to prevent deleterious rivalries.
Due to the injury, KSU announced that Ahn would not be competing in the ISU
Samsung World Cup Series 5 and 6 in Quebec City and Salt Lake City, respectively. It was also reported that he would not be competing in the 2008 World Championships
in Gangeung or the 2008 World Team Championships in Harbin, China
. As a result of the unexpected injury, it was clear that Ahn would be unable to defend his sixth World title, leaving his countrymen Lee Ho-suk
, Song Kyung-taek
and Lee Seung-hoon
to make up the ground. After undergoing three surgeries, his rehabilitation period was predicted to be around 2–3 months.
After eight months off the ice, a Korean news article reported on September 5, 2008 that Ahn was back training, undergoing approximately two hours of physical reinforcement and skating along with around five hours of rehabilitation accompanied by muscular power training. The article also reported that Ahn is eying the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, BC.
Because of his injury, Ahn did not compete in the 2009 World Championships
in Vienna, Austria
which took place March 6–8.
in Vancouver, BC. Despite this, Ahn hopes to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics
in Sochi, Russia, which will most likely be his last games.
Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
athlete from South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. One of the most accomplished Short Track Speed Skaters of all time, Ahn won three gold medals and a bronze medal in 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
held in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, becoming the most successful athlete there. He is also a five-time Overall World Champion
World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The World Short Track Speed Skating Championships are a senior international short track speed skating competition held once a year to determine the World Champion in individual distances, relays and Overall Classification...
for 2003-2007.
Early life
Ahn first began skating in elementary school. The first time he watched the sport on television was during the 1994 Winter Olympics1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
where one of his heroes, Chae Ji-Hoon
Chae Ji-Hoon
Chae Ji-Hoon is a retired South Korean short track speed skater-Playing career:...
, took gold in the 500 m and silver in the 1000 m for South Korea. His coach, Kim Ki-Hoon
Kim Ki-hoon
Kim Ki-hoon is the first gold medalist in Winter Olympics for Korea. He is a three-time Olympic Champion and 1992 Overall World Champion....
, was a three-time Olympic gold medalist who scouted Ahn and continues to train him. He trains ten hours every day from techniques, speed, and endurance to video analysis.
Olympic history
He participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
at Salt Lake City, making the finals of the 1000 meter short course event but returned home without a medal after a controversial fall involving Apolo Ohno, Li Jiajun
Li JiaJun
Li Jiajun is a Chinese short track speed skater who has won 5 Olympic medals - two silver and three bronze. He has been a two-time Overall World Champion for 1999 and 2001....
and Mathieu Turcotte
Mathieu Turcotte
Mathieu Turcotte is a Canadian athlete. He was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec.Turcotte rose to fame within Canada, upon winning the bronze in the men's 1000 m in the short track speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, with a time of 1:30.563 , and winning a gold as part...
allowed Australian Steve Bradbury to sweep the gold medal.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics, Ahn won gold medals in the 1500 m and 1000 m events. He set a new Olympic record
Olympic record
Olympic records are the best performances in a specific event in that event's history in either the Summer Olympic Games or the Winter Olympic Games...
time of 1:26.739 in the 1000 m, finishing ahead of teammate Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won an Olympic gold medal as a part of 5000m Short-track relay team and won four Olympic silver medals. He is the Overall World Champion for 2009 and 2010.-Career:...
and rival Ohno. Ahn also won gold in Men's 5000 m relay along with teammates Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won an Olympic gold medal as a part of 5000m Short-track relay team and won four Olympic silver medals. He is the Overall World Champion for 2009 and 2010.-Career:...
(이호석), Seo Ho-Jin
Seo Ho-Jin
Seo Ho-Jin is a South Korean short track speed skater who won gold in the 5000m relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.-References:...
, and Song Suk-Woo
Song Suk-Woo
Song Suk-Woo is a South Korean short track speed skater who won gold in the 5000m relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.-References:...
. He became the second Korean athlete ever to win three gold medals in one Olympics. (Jin Sun-Yu
Jin Sun-Yu
Jin Sun-Yu is a South Korean short-track speed skater. She is a triple Olympic Champion from 2006 and a three-time Overall World Champion ....
(진선유) accomplished this earlier on the same day.) He also won a bronze medal in the 500 m event.
Rarely taking the lead position throughout the entire race, Ahn's strategy is to follow the leaders, then sprint using an outside passing lane (or occasionally an inside passing lane if the opportunity arises) with only two or three laps to go. In the 5000 m relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics, Ahn made a brilliant pass around defending Olympic champion Canada on the final lap, helping Korea earn the victory. Sports commentators often refer to his "patented outside pass" due to its consistency and tremendous effectiveness.
Ahn Hyun Soo won a total of 4 medals in the 2006 Games, an unprecedented result by any athlete in his sport. He is the first Korean man to win at least 3 medals in a single Winter Olympics.
Other accomplishments
Ahn won the world junior short track championship in 2002, and finished second to Kim Dong-SungKim Dong-Sung
Kim Dong-Sung is a former South Korean short track speed skater. He won a gold medal in 1000m race and silver medal in 5000m relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics...
at his first senior-level world championship
2002 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2002 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between April 5 and April 7, 2002 in Montréal, Canada. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating.-Men:...
competition the same year. He is the first male skater to achieve such feat. Despite being disqualified in the finals of the 500 m and 3000 m events at the 2006 World Championships
2006 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2006 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 29 and March 31, 2006, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating....
in Minneapolis, Ahn was able to claim the championship with victories in both the 1000 m and 1500 m events and became the overall world champion with 68 points followed by countryman Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won an Olympic gold medal as a part of 5000m Short-track relay team and won four Olympic silver medals. He is the Overall World Champion for 2009 and 2010.-Career:...
with 60 points.
Ahn is the only male short track skater to have won at least three consecutive world championships (having won five in a row); Canadian short track legend Marc Gagnon
Marc Gagnon
Marc Gagnon is a French Canadian short track speed skater. He is a four-time Overall World Champion for 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998, and winner of three Olympic gold medals....
has won four times, but his titles did not come back to back.
Ahn Hyun Soo finished first in the overall World Cup rankings during 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 seasons. He is also the current world record holder for 1500 m event.
At the World Championships
2007 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2007 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 9 and March 11, 2007 in Milan, Italy. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating.-Men:...
held in Milan, Italy from March 9 to March 11, 2007, Ahn won his fifth world championship, finishing first in the 1000 m and in the 5000 m relay with teammates, Sung Si-Bak
Sung Si-Bak
Sung Si-Bak is a South Korean short track speed skater. At the 2007 Winter Universiade, he won all five short track speed skating events. Sung has won more than 20 World Cup races and earned two World Cup titles, in addition to skating on the winning World Championship 5000 m relay teams in...
, Song Kyung-Taek
Song Kyung-Taek
Song Kyung-Taek is a South Korean short track speed skater. He won four gold medals at the World Championships but has not participated in any Olympics yet....
, and Kim Hyun-Kon
Kim Hyun-Kon
Kim Hyun-Kon is a South Korean short track speed skater.-External links:*Profile from...
. He also won silver in the 3000 m behind countryman, Song Kyung-Taek, and won two bronze medals in the 500 m and the 1500 m. He is the first man to win five world championships.
Conflict
After the 2006 World Championships2006 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2006 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 29 and March 31, 2006, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating....
, Ahn flew back to Korea. At the Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
, Ahn's father, Ahn Ki-Won, slapped the vice president of the Korean Skating Union (KSU), claiming that the coach that did not associate with Ahn and conspired with other skaters to prevent Ahn from winning the title of the overall champion.
The Korean short track team was split into two groups in which Ahn is coached by the women's coach due to conflicts with the men's coach. The tensions have risen so high that the skaters have refused to dine in the same room, sit next to each other on the plane, or even share the same floor with each other. Ahn and Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won an Olympic gold medal as a part of 5000m Short-track relay team and won four Olympic silver medals. He is the Overall World Champion for 2009 and 2010.-Career:...
used to attend the same high school together, and even shared a room last year in skating camps, but now rarely talk to each other. .
Ahn has mentioned on his personal website that the pressure is too much for him and he has thought of quitting the sport. Due to the issue, KSU has claimed that starting next season, the team will be united under one head coach to prevent deleterious rivalries.
Early 2008 season injury
On January 16, 2008, the Korean Speedskating Union (KSU) announced that Ahn had injured his knee after colliding with a fence during national team training at the Korea Training Center in Taeneung. After being sent to the hospital, the injury was diagnosed as a fractured knee.Due to the injury, KSU announced that Ahn would not be competing in the ISU
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
Samsung World Cup Series 5 and 6 in Quebec City and Salt Lake City, respectively. It was also reported that he would not be competing in the 2008 World Championships
2008 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2008 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 7 and March 9, 2008 in Gangneung City, South Korea. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating....
in Gangeung or the 2008 World Team Championships in Harbin, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. As a result of the unexpected injury, it was clear that Ahn would be unable to defend his sixth World title, leaving his countrymen Lee Ho-suk
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-Suk is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won an Olympic gold medal as a part of 5000m Short-track relay team and won four Olympic silver medals. He is the Overall World Champion for 2009 and 2010.-Career:...
, Song Kyung-taek
Song Kyung-Taek
Song Kyung-Taek is a South Korean short track speed skater. He won four gold medals at the World Championships but has not participated in any Olympics yet....
and Lee Seung-hoon
Lee Seung-Hoon
Lee Seung-Hoon is a South Korean speed skater who won a silver medal in the 5000 meters and a gold medal in the 10000 metres at the 2010 Winter Olympics, becoming the first Asian man to ever achieve these feats...
to make up the ground. After undergoing three surgeries, his rehabilitation period was predicted to be around 2–3 months.
After eight months off the ice, a Korean news article reported on September 5, 2008 that Ahn was back training, undergoing approximately two hours of physical reinforcement and skating along with around five hours of rehabilitation accompanied by muscular power training. The article also reported that Ahn is eying the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, BC.
Because of his injury, Ahn did not compete in the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2009 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 5 and March 8, 2009 in Vienna, Austria. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating.-Men:...
in Vienna, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
which took place March 6–8.
2010 Olympics
During the Korean National Team Trials, which ultimately determine the Fall World Cup and Olympic Teams, Ahn was unable to qualify, finishing 7th in overall points (because Ahn didn't compete in the last two World Cup seasons, he needed to finish in the top three in overall points to qualify). Due to his inability to qualify, he did not compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver, BC. Despite this, Ahn hopes to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
in Sochi, Russia, which will most likely be his last games.