South Korean skater applies to be Chinese citizen to take part in Beijing Winter Olympics

Lim Hyo-jun, the world’s top short track speed skater who was accused of sexual harassment, wants to change his nationality to Chinese

Suspended from representing South Korea, he fears a protracted legal battle will prevent him from competing in the Olympics in 2022

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Gold medallist Lim Hyo-jun of South Korea celebrates on the podium during a ceremony at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. File photo: Getty Images

Published: 3:42pm, 7 Mar 2021Updated: 5:19pm, 7 Mar 2021

A top South Korean short track speed skater, who was banned from competitions for a year after allegedly sexually harassing a male teammate in 2019, has applied for Chinese citizenship to compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency first reported that Lim Hyo-jun was going through a special naturalisation process which was suggested by the Chinese Skating Association. Brion Company, which manages athletes including Lim, confirmed Lim’s citizenship application.

“Lim Hyo-jun has decided to change his nationality to Chinese,” Brion Company said in a statement on Saturday.

Lim, the 1500m gold medal winner at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, has supposedly been issued a special passport from China and left for the country on Friday to start training there.

“He’ll skate for China at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics,” Yonhap quoted a source close to the athlete as saying, adding that Lim feared he might fail to make the South Korean team for the quadrennial event due to a legal battle linked to his suspension.

Lim was charged in late 2019 for pulling down the pants of a male teammate and exposing one of his body parts to female skaters at a training centre gym.