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An Hyun-soo could have played for the U.S.

Posted January. 04, 2017 07:10,   

Updated January. 04, 2017 07:30

한국어

An Hyun-soo could have been a U.S. representative at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. As An received a triple crown at the men's short track, U.S. media reported that the U.S. competed with Russia to bring him in but failed. The Washington Post said Russia had more attractive financial terms.

In addition to being a host country, Russia had no gold medal in Olympic short track until then, and thus needed An who earned 19 medals including four golds in that category. Media reports treating player naturalization as if they are a free agent in sports is nothing new in the U.S.

According to the Dong-A Ilbo analysis, 14 among 213 players for Russia at the Sochi Olympics were not Russians. Among 2,279 players at Sochi, at least 120 were naturalized. The figure for Russia was 1.5 times more than average. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, naturalized player ratio in Canada was 8 percent (six among 201), higher than that in Sochi. At the 2016 Torino Olympics, host country Italy also had 20 naturalized players, including 10 ice hockey players.

The International Olympics Charter stipulates that players participate in the Olympics as a team player or as an individual and not representing a country. In initial Olympics, teams with players in mixed countries grabbed 17 medals. However, as the National Olympic Committee of each country was given the right to select players in 1908, the Olympics then tended to be a competition among countries. Players who played as representative in one country can play for other country by changing nationality after three years.



Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com