Ahn, Viktor

Viktor Ahn, original name Ahn Hyun-Soo, (born November 23, 1985, Seoul, South Korea), South Korean-born Russian short-track speed skater who won six Olympic gold medals and six world championships (2003–07 and 2014) to establish himself as one of the top performers in his sport’s history.

Ahn started short-track skating at age eight, inspired by countryman Chae Ji-Hoon, who captured a gold and a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. At 5 feet 4 inches (1.64 metres) and 120 pounds (54 kg), Ahn was perfectly built for the fast speeds and tight corners of short track. In 2002 he won the overall world junior championships and finished second at the senior world championships. Later that year he made his Olympic debut at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, but had disappointing results. Ahn was one of the favourites in the 1,000 metres, but in the final China’s Li Jiajun caused a pileup that knocked out everyone except Australian Steven Bradbury (then skating in last place), who won the race by default; Ahn finished fourth. Ahn was later disqualified in the 1,500-metre semifinal and left Salt Lake City without a medal. During the 2003 season, however, he recovered his momentum, setting world records at 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres and capturing the first of five consecutive world overall titles.

At the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, Ahn won the 1,500 metres to capture his first gold medal and then set an Olympic record in the 1,000 metres en route to his second gold. He took a bronze medal in the 500 metres. In the final event, the 5,000-metre relay, he followed his usual strategy by holding off until the final laps. He then sprinted for the finish from an outside passing lane to give South Korea its sixth short-track gold medal and another Olympic record time. As the competition played out, Ahn held off the challenge of his biggest rival, American Apolo Anton Ohno, who won the 500 metres but never seriously challenged Ahn in any other event.

In 2008 Ahn sustained a severe knee injury while training, and the prolonged recovery process kept him from qualifying for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. During that time, he had a falling-out with the Korean Skating Union, which prompted Ahn to begin looking to skate for other countries. In 2011 he immigrated to Russia—host of the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi—and changed his name to Viktor Ahn. He returned to the pinnacle of his sport at the 2014 Olympics, winning gold medals in the 500 metres, the 1,000 metres, and the 5,000-metre relay as well as a bronze in the 1,500 metres. His victory in the 500 metres made Ahn the first speed skater to win Olympic gold in all four short-track distances. In 2014 he also won his sixth world championship title.

Following the 2014 Olympics, Russia became embroiled in a doping scandal, and the country was subsequently banned from the 2018 Games in P’yŏngch’ang, South Korea. Ahn, who had never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, challenged the decision, but his appeal was denied. He retired from speed skating in September 2018.