Russian short-track speed skater Viktor Ahn reacts after winning the men's 1,000-meter final at the Sochi Olympics on Saturday. It was the fourth-career Olympic gold for Ahn, but his first for his adopted homeland Russia. Ahn switched his allegiance for the Sochi Games after he was left off the Korean national team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. / Yonhap



Ahn gives Russia 1st Olympic short-track gold medal



By Kim Young-jin

Soon after Russian short-track speed skater Viktor Ahn won the 1,000-meter gold medal at the Sochi Olympics, he fell to his knees and kissed the ice.

While any Olympic victory is worthy of hearty celebration, this one may have tasted just a bit sweeter. For Ahn, it validated his controversial "defection" to skate for Russia rather than his birth country Korea.

"I've been waiting for this moment for eight years," he said. "I've gone through so much and this was the ultimate reward. I can't describe my feelings in words."

Ahn led the race from the beginning with fellow Russian Vladimir Grigoriev following close behind. Skating smoothly throughout, he was never seriously challenged, finishing with a time of 1:25.325.

Grigorev finished second. Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands earned the bronze medal.

For Koreans, the story of Ahn ­ born Ahn Hyun-soo ­ has been one of the most interesting subplots of the Games.

The 28-year-old won three gold medals in the 2006 Winter Games, but missed the following games with a knee injury. Complaining of a lack of support, he eventually approached the Russian sporting authorities and took on citizenship there.

After Saturday's race, which followed a bronze medal performance in the 1,500 meters, he said the journey was difficult but worthwhile.

"I didn't want to give up short track because of my injury (from 2008), and I came to Russia to compete in the best environment I could find," he said after the race. "And the gold medal is significant because it proves that I made the right choice."

His successes even had Korean President Park Geun-hye wondering out loud last week whether factionalism, favoritism or corruption had caused the country to lose one of its best competitors.

These are more noticeable this year as they stand in contrast with the woes of the Korean short trackers.

Historically considered a powerhouse in the sport, Korea has struggled in Sochi, failing to win a gold medal so far.

On Monday, Sin Da-woon and Lee Han-bin were first and second late in the 1,500 meter semifinals, when Sin fell and brought his countryman down with him. The men's 5,000 meter team suffered a critical fall as well.

Ahn hadn't lost affection for his former team, however, made apparent by his embrace of Sin following the race. Sin was penalized for impeding another skater.

"I gave him a hug for the job well done. I am sorry that young skaters (on the Korean team) have to deal with this sort of distraction," he said.

''We're battling each other on the ice but we don't resent or hate each other."

Now that the dust has settled, Ahn's personal tale is the coolest story of redemption in this Olympics. In addition to his multiple-medal performance, there have also been his viral tweets featuring him with his medal and his girlfriend Woo Na-ri.

Before Ahn's arrival, Russia had never won a single short-track medal, but was desperate to contend as the host nation. Ahn delivered his end of the bargain and appears to have been ensured a stable future in Russia, with promises of teaching jobs at universities and coaching jobs for the national team.

That level of commitment was never an option with his birth country, which labeled him as damaged goods at the age of 24. While President Park was right in identifying factionalism and nepotism as problems in Korean sports, those ills fail to explain Ahn's situation.

Observers say his experience was less about unfairness than the ruthless way Korea produces its elite athletes. The system is essentially an extension of how the country used to approach industrialization ― identifying sports where the country would have a high ceiling for growth, concentrating resources there, and compensating achievements in major sporting events with lifelong monthly payments

The system is also notorious for pumping in new athletes before the public gets to know the old ones. The moment Ahn was injured he was sidelined to make room for other athletes dreaming of personal glory and financial stability.

Ahn didn't get a second chance here, but he found one in Russia and aced it.

''I think I am purged of the grudge I had for the people who discarded my son,'' Ahn Ki-won, Ahn's father, told Korean reporters.

''It was a complicated experience to see my son overcome difficulties and win a medal for a country far from his birth land to redeem himself. I very happy for him, but I also feel some sadness that I can't share this joy with Korean people.''