Lin Xiaojun: "I am Chinese, Proud to Stand on the Podium with the Five-star Red Flag"

First Olympics After Naturalization
The Only Gold Medal Won by a Chinese Male Athlete

Lin Xiaojun (29, Korean name Lim Hyojun), who naturalized as a Chinese citizen, expressed his feelings after winning the only gold medal in short track among Chinese male athletes at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, saying, "I am very proud to have won the gold medal representing the Chinese team and to have raised the Five-starred Red Flag on the podium."

Chinese short track speed skating national team member Lin Xiaojun is preparing for training on the 3rd at the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center Multipurpose Hall in Harbin, China. Harbin=Yonhap News Photo by Yeonhap

On the 17th, Chinese portal Wangyi.com released a recent interview Lin Xiaojun conducted with the Chinese edition of Port. Lin said, "I am studying Chinese diligently," adding, "I am a perfectionist. Since I am Chinese, I naturally want to communicate and interact with the media in Chinese."

He continued, "My Chinese skills are not very good, so some people think I am not Chinese, but since I will be living in China from now on, I have decided to learn Chinese well," and said, "Once I speak fluent Chinese, no one will say that anymore."

Previously, Lin Xiaojun won a gold medal in the men's 500m short track, a silver medal in the men's 1500m, and a bronze medal in the men's 5000m relay at the Harbin Winter Asian Games. He is the only Chinese male short track athlete to have won a gold medal.

This Olympics was Lin Xiaojun's first international multi-sport event since naturalizing as a Chinese citizen. Lin, who won a gold medal as a member of the Korean national team at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, was charged in 2019 with forcibly molesting his junior teammate Hwang Daeheon. He appealed the first trial's verdict of a 3 million won fine, and as a result, the Supreme Court acquitted him.

However, after receiving a one-year suspension from the Korea Skating Union, Lin Xiaojun chose to naturalize as a Chinese citizen in June 2020.