Viktor Ahn feels sorry for Korea, Koreans feel sorry for Ahn

“I really wanted to continue skating and did not want to quit this for injuries. I tried to find the best environment for me and that’s why I came to Russia. It seems that I made the right decision,” Ahn Hyun-soo (Russian name: Viktor Ahn), 29, who won an Olympic gold medal in eight years, seemed calm and clearly answered to the question raised by reporters. He who seemed pensive at times and smiled as well gave answers in Korean when a Russian reporter asked him a question.

When Ahn was told that even Korean President Park Geun-hye is interested in the change of his citizenship, he said, “I read many articles and thought a lot. It will take a long time to explain this. I’ll talk about this after the Olympic Games are over.” When someone asked, “Did you change your citizenship because of the political fight?” he said, “I needed an environment where I could do my favorite sport. I chose it for me and for sports. I changed my citizenship to forget everything that happened in the past and concentrate on me. That’s why I don’t want bad articles (on the Korean skating community). It is not good for my Korean colleagues. They need to focus on their race and I am sorry for them for this. I hope that I wouldn’t see such articles anymore except when I talk about it.”