Victor Ahn (38, Korean name Ahn Hyeon-soo), who started his leadership career in Korea, did not appear on the first day of the official competition.
On the 18th, the Korea Ice Skating Federation held the first selection competition for the 2022-23 short track national team at the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province. The 2023-24 men’s and women’s national team will be selected through the schedule of the 1st 18th to 19th and the 2nd 22nd to 23rd.
토토사이트 This competition drew attention as Victor Ahn’s debut as a coach on the Korean stage. According to officials in the ice skating world, Viktor Ahn served as a personal coach for this selection. It is known that some players from Korea National University of Physical Education, their alma mater, asked Victor Ahn to guide them in the selection, and Victor Ahn responded.
Only athletes, officials, and reporters were allowed access to this selection, which was held at the Jincheon National Training Center. During the game, the cheers of the coach standing right next to the rink rang louder. But Viktor Ahn’s voice and face could not be seen.
Viktor Ahn has registered as a personal coach for 6-7 players who participated in this selection. This procedure must be completed so that athletes can be coached on-site during competition. According to an official, Viktor Ahn was known to have guided the athletes at the rink during the official training period in the Jincheon National Training Center. However, when the news of starting a leadership activity for the first time in Korea was announced through this selection, many reporters gathered on that day. It seems that Viktor Ahn did not attend the first day of the competition because of the pressure of this.
This is the first time Viktor An is active in Korea as a leader. He competed as a Korean short track skater and won three men’s gold medals at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. When the ice faction fight and his team, the Seongnam City Hall ice team, were disbanded due to financial problems, he was naturalized in Russia in 2011 and changed his name to Viktor Ahn. He competed for Russia and won three gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. After retiring in 2020, he served as technical coach for the Chinese short track team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Victor Ahn, whose contract with the Chinese national team expired, returned to Korea and applied for a job as a coach for the ice team at the Seongnam City Hall Workplace Sports Department. However, when the fact that former Chinese national team coach Kim Seon-tae also applied was known and attracted attention, Seongnam City Hall announced that there were no successful applicants.
In mid-January, Victor Ahn met with reporters after leaving Seongnam City Hall’s ice team coach interview and said, “I don’t have anything to say at this stage. Later (recruitment) procedures will be completed, and I will tell you when I have a chance.”
After the controversy, Viktor Ahn started his official activities as a leader through this tournament. However, he did not show up on the first day of the competition, leaving a strange aftertaste.