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Beijing Winter Olympics 2022
SportChina

Beijing 2022: Lim Hyo-jun will not skate for China at Winter Olympics, South Korean media outlet reports

  • Olympic champ, who naturalised from South Korea after ban for sexual harassment of teammate, misses deadline to apply to compete for hosts
  • Both sides would need to agree a deal to dismiss the usual three-year cooling-off period for controversial speed skating star

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Gold medallist Lim Hyo-jun of South Korea celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men‘s short track 1,500m at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Getty Images
Jonathan White

Controversial Olympic champion speed skater Lim Hyo-jun will not be able to compete for China at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, according to a media report in his native South Korea.

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Lim won 1,500-metres gold for South Korea at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, before choosing to naturalise as Chinese. However, South Korean broadcaster SBS reported his hopes of representing the hosts next February are over.

The Seoul-based media outlet cited an official at the Korea Sports Council saying there had been no contact from Chinese officials ahead of Friday’s preliminary long-list deadline.

“If you do not submit a ’long list’, it is virtually impossible to participate in the Olympics,” the official told SBS.

First-placed Lim Hyo-jun (centre) of South Korea, second-placed Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands and third-placed Russian Semen Elistratov pose on the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics podium after the men’s 1,500m speed skating final. Photo: Reuters
First-placed Lim Hyo-jun (centre) of South Korea, second-placed Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands and third-placed Russian Semen Elistratov pose on the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics podium after the men’s 1,500m speed skating final. Photo: Reuters
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Lim, 25, has been a controversial figure in the sport after he was charged in 2019 with sexual harassment of a male teammate, for pulling down their trousers in front of female teammates.

He was banned for a year by the Korean Skating Union in August that year, and later found guilty of the charge which earned him a US$2,500 fine and 40 hours of court-mandated therapy.

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