Naturalized Chinese Short Track Skater Lin Xiaojun: "I Want to Bring a Relay Gold Medal to China"

First International Multi-Sport Event After Naturalization to China

Lin Xiaojun (28, Im Hyojun), who was a leading South Korean short track speed skater and later naturalized to China, expressed his determination to win a gold medal at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games.

In a recent interview released by China Global Television Network (CGTN), Lin Xiaojun said, "Since the Winter Asian Games are being held for the first time in 8 years and it is the only competition where I do not have a medal, I wanted to participate," adding, "I am communicating well with the coach and teammates and preparing diligently."

Lin Xiaojun preparing for training. Photo by Yonhap News

Lin Xiaojun was a representative figure in South Korean short track, winning the men's 1500m gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. After being involved in an unfortunate incident in 2019 and receiving a one-year suspension from the Korea Skating Union, he naturalized to China. This upcoming Harbin Winter Asian Games, held in China, will be his first international multi-sport event as a member of the Chinese national team.

As the 'world's strongest' South Korean short track team is expected to face strong competition from the home team China, the rivalry between Lin Xiaojun and the South Korean athletes is also drawing attention.

When asked about the event he is most looking forward to, Lin Xiaojun answered the team event. He added that the men's 5000m relay and the mixed 2000m relay are the events he desires the most. He said, "Especially the men's 5000m is the last short track event of this competition, so I really want to bring home the gold medal."

Ahead of the competition starting on the 7th, Lin Xiaojun participated with the Chinese national team in the first official training session of the event on the 3rd at the multipurpose hall of the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center in Harbin, China, to check his condition. He said, "I had a shoulder dislocation during the first and second World Cups, but it was not a serious injury, so I am recovering well," and added, "Since I receive a lot of support and love, I want to bring joy to the Chinese people through my performance."

Regarding his future plans, Lin Xiaojun said, "I want to do my best until the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics next year." He added, "I plan to prepare hard with the mindset of doing my best every day. Someday I will retire, but I think I will continue to work for short track even after that."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.