(1985-11-23) November 23, 1985 (age 38) Seoul, South Korea
Height
1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight
65 kg (143 lb)[1]
Spouse
Woo Nari
(m. 2014)
Sport
Country
South Korea (until 2011) Russia (since 2011)
Sport
Short track speed skating
Retired
April 27, 2020
Achievements and titles
World finals
World Championship 2014 Overall 2007 Overall 2006 Overall 2005 Overall 2004 Overall 2003 Overall World Cup 2006 Overall 2004 Overall
Personal best(s)
500 m: 39.961 (2019)[2] 1000 m: 1:23.487 (2013)[2] 1500 m: 2:10.639 (2003, Former WR)[2][3] 3000 m: 4:32.646 (2003, Former WR)[2][4]
Medal record
Event
1st
2nd
3rd
Olympic Games
6
0
2
World Championships
20
10
5
World Team Championships
2
3
1
European Championships
8
6
2
World Junior Championships
4
0
1
Winter Universiade
3
0
1
Asian Games
5
1
0
Total
48
20
12
Representing Russia
Olympic Games
2014 Sochi
500 m
2014 Sochi
1000 m
2014 Sochi
5000 m relay
2014 Sochi
1500 m
World Championships
2014 Montreal
Overall
2014 Montreal
1000 m
2013 Debrecen
500 m
2013 Debrecen
5000 m relay
2014 Montreal
3000 m
2017 Rotterdam
3000 m
European Championships
2013 Malmö
5000 m relay
2014 Debrecen
Overall
2014 Debrecen
500 m
2014 Debrecen
1000 m
2014 Debrecen
3000 m
2014 Debrecen
5000 m relay
2015 Dordrecht
500 m
2015 Dordrecht
5000 m relay
2013 Malmö
1000m
2015 Dordrecht
Overall
2015 Dordrecht
3000 m
2017 Turin
5000 m relay
2018 Dresden
500 m
2018 Dresden
5000 m relay
2013 Malmö
500 m
2017 Turin
500 m
Representing South Korea
Olympic Games
2006 Turin
1000 m
2006 Turin
1500 m
2006 Turin
5000 m relay
2006 Turin
500 m
World Championships
2002 Montreal
5000 m relay
2003 Warsaw
Overall
2003 Warsaw
1500 m
2003 Warsaw
3000 m
2003 Warsaw
5000 m relay
2004 Gothenburg
Overall
2004 Gothenburg
1000 m
2004 Gothenburg
1500 m
2004 Gothenburg
3000 m
2004 Gothenburg
5000 m relay
2005 Beijing
Overall
2005 Beijing
1500 m
2006 Minneapolis
Overall
2006 Minneapolis
1000 m
2006 Minneapolis
1500 m
2007 Milan
Overall
2007 Milan
1000 m
2007 Milan
5000 m relay
2002 Montreal
Overall
2002 Montreal
1000 m
2002 Montreal
3000 m
2003 Warsaw
1000 m
2005 Beijing
1000 m
2005 Beijing
3000 m
2005 Beijing
5000 m relay
2007 Milan
3000 m
2005 Beijing
500 m
2007 Milan
500 m
2007 Milan
1500 m
World Team Championships
2004 St. Petersburg
Team
2006 Montréal
Team
2003 Sofia
Team
2005 Chuncheon
Team
2007 Budapest
Team
2002 Milwaukee
Team
World Junior Championships
2002 Chuncheon
Overall
2002 Chuncheon
1000 m
2002 Chuncheon
1500 m
2002 Chuncheon
2000 m relay
2002 Chuncheon
1500 m S.F.
Winter Universiade
2005 Innsbruck
1500 m
2005 Innsbruck
3000 m
2005 Innsbruck
5000 m relay
2005 Innsbruck
1000 m
Asian Winter Games
2003 Aomori
1000 m
2003 Aomori
1500 m
2003 Aomori
5000 m relay
2007 Changchun
1000 m
2007 Changchun
5000 m relay
2007 Changchun
1500 m
Victor An
Hangul
빅토르 안
Hanja
빅토르 安
Revised Romanization
Biktoreu An
McCune–Reischauer
Pikt'orŭ An
Ahn Hyun-soo
Hangul
안현수
Hanja
安賢洙
Revised Romanization
An Hyeonsu
McCune–Reischauer
An Hyŏnsu
Viktor An (Russian: Виктор Ан; born Ahn Hyun-soo (Korean: 안현수) on November 23, 1985),[5] is a South Korean-born Russian short-track speed skating coach and retired short-track speed skater. With a total of eight Olympic medals, six gold and two bronze, he is the only short track speed skater in Olympic history to win gold in every distance, and the first to win a medal in every distance at a single Games.[6] He has the most Olympic gold medals in the sport, three of which he won in the 2006 Winter Olympics and the other three in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Considered to be the greatest short track speed skater of all time, he is a six-time overall World champion (2003-2007, 2014), two-time overall World Cup winner (2003–04, 2005–06), and the 2014 European champion. He holds the most overall titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, and is the only male short track skater to win five consecutive world titles.[7]
In 2008, Ahn suffered a knee injury and could not regain his health by the time the national qualifiers for Vancouver 2010 came around. His recovery being slow and his South Korean local team dissolved in 2010,[8][9] Ahn, aiming for his second Olympics, became a Russian citizen the next year and began racing for the Russian team. After winning gold in Sochi, Ahn explained his reasons for joining the Russian team saying, "I wanted to train in the best possible environment and I proved my decision was not wrong." As expected, a gold-winning athlete leaving the national team caused public uproar in South Korea. However, it was aimed not at Ahn, but at the country's skating union. Most South Korean fans in a poll said they understood his decision.[10][11] Ahn continued his skating career in his adopted nation until 2019 and declared his retirement in April 2020.[8][12]
In 2023, Ahn returned to Korea as a short track leader. Ahn returned to South Korea and applied to be a coach for Seongnam City's short track speed skating team, despite having renounced his South Korean citizenship when becoming Russian.[13][14] However, since his change in 2014 he had been increasingly criticized for his work in Russia amid the Russo-Ukrainian War and his coaching position in the Chinese team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Some Korean coaches have formed The Korea Skating Coaches' Union and urged "Seongnam City to appoint a coach that meets the public eye level" and criticized Ahn that he "lied during the naturalization process and betrayed his country".[15][16] and He was criticized by the public for betraying his country by transferring Korean sports skills to Russia and China. Ahn was eventually denied the coaching position due to significant public opposition.[17]
After being denied his position as Seongnam City Hall coach due to strong public opposition, Ahn explained the controversy he knew about his loss of nationality in advance and receives a full Olympic medal pension prior to Russian naturalization. he said: "I donated every pension I had received prior to naturalization". According to his explanation and a Korean ice skating official mentioned in Chosun Ilbo shortly thereafter, the entire lump sum pension he received was spent on rehabilitating "children who needed heart surgery and Korean junior players".[18][19] And he make his first start as a Korean Sports leader, being named as a coach in the 2023-2024 national team trials at the request of his juniors. The Korea Skating Union officially announced this through Yonhap News Agency, and the Korean media reported it collectively.[20]
^ ab"Viktor An". Olympedia. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
^ abcd"Biographical data for: Viktor An". shorttrackonline.info. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
^"1500m Men World Record Progression". International Skating Union. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
^"3000m Men World Record Progression". International Skating Union. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
^Victor An at the International Skating Union.
^International Olympic Committee (March 31, 2021). "Happier Ahn makes short track history". olympics.com. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
^"Most Overall Titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships (individual)". guinnessworldrecords.com. Guinness World Records. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
^Kim, Young-rok (January 9, 2012). "[집중기획] '쇼트트랙 황제'가 청년백수로…"안현수를 원하는 곳이 없었다"" [From 'short track emperor' to the unemployed - no team wanted to accept Ahn Hyun-soo]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved April 3, 2023.
^Kim, Narae (February 16, 2014). "Ahn's gold hard for South Koreans to swallow". Reuters. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
^Inside the Games FISU (September 28, 2020). "Universiade Legends: Viktor Ahn". Inside the Games. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
^NBC OlympicTalk (August 25, 2020). "Viktor Ahn the latest Olympic star to coach Chinese athletes ahead of Beijing 2022". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
^Yonhap News Agency (January 12, 2023). "Victor An applies for coaching job in motherland". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
^Kim, So-hyun (January 11, 2023). "Viktor An seeks to return as coach in Korea". The Korea Herald. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
^Kim, Yumin (January 14, 2023). ""Ahn Hyun-soo, a Russian who abandoned Korea" - League of Leaders' Criticism of Determination' ("안현수, 한국 버린 러시아인" 지도자연맹 '작심 비판')" (in Korean). Seoul Shinmun. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
^Cho, Young-joon (January 13, 2023). "Ice Leaders Federation Statement Announced "Concerned about the return of leader Viktor Ahn"". SPOTV. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
^Yonhap News Agency (January 29, 2023). "Ex-Russian short tracker Victor An misses out on coaching position in native S. Korea". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
^Young-ji, Jeon (February 7, 2023). "Ahn Hyun-soo, who finally opened his mouth, said: "Right after receiving the Olympic medal pension, naturalization in Russia is not true... the pension was fully donated." (마침내 입 연 안현수"연금수령→러 귀화 사실 아냐...연금은 전액기부")" (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
^Park, Dae-hyun (February 7, 2023). "'Can't return to Korea' Ahn Hyun-soo... "I donated all the pension I received"". SPOTV. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
^Yoo Ji-ho (April 13, 2023). "Ex-Russian short track star Victor An to coach at S. Korean nat'l team trials". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
ViktorAn (Russian: Виктор Ан; born Ahn Hyun-soo (Korean: 안현수) on November 23, 1985), is a South Korean-born Russian short-track speed skating coach and...
Viktor Anatolyevich Bout (/buːt/; Russian: Ви́ктор Анато́льевич Бут; born 13 January 1967) is a Russian arms dealer and politician. A weapons manufacturer...
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (born 9 July 1950) is a former Ukrainian politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. He also...
Viktor Emil Frankl (26 March 1905 – 2 September 1997) was an Austrian neurologist, psychologist, philosopher, and Holocaust survivor, who founded logotherapy...
Viktor Hovland (born 18 September 1997) is a Norwegian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and European Tour. He won the 2018 U.S. Amateur and...
hired by an airport contractor and paid under the table. One day, Dixon detains Amelia and interrogates her about Viktor. Amelia, who realizes Viktor has not...
Viktor Andriiovych Yushchenko (Ukrainian: Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, IPA: [ˈwiktor ɐnˈd⁽ʲ⁾r⁽ʲ⁾ijowɪtʃ ˈjuʃtʃenko] ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian...
Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (Russian: Виктор Робертович Цой; pronounced [ˈvʲikt̪ər ˈrobʲɪrt̪əvʲɪtɕ ˈtsoi̯]; 21 June 1962 – 15 August 1990) was a Soviet singer-songwriter...
Viktor Ivanovich Patsayev (Russian: Виктор Иванович Пацаев; 19 June 1933 – 30 June 1971) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 11 mission and was...
Viktor Georgiyevich Pugachev (Russian: Ви́ктор Гео́ргиевич Пугачёв) (born 8 August 1948 in Taganrog, RSFSR) is a retired Russian Air Force officer and...
Viktor Amazaspovich Ambartsumian (Russian: Виктор Амазаспович Амбарцумян; Armenian: Վիկտոր Համազասպի Համբարձումյան, Viktor Hamazaspi Hambardzumyan; 18...
Viktor Vitaliiovych Tsyhankov (Ukrainian: Віктор Віталійович Циганков; born 15 November 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder...
Viktor Axelsen (born 4 January 1994) is a Danish badminton player who is currently the world number two in men’s singles. He is a two-time World Champion...
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi (Russian: Виктор Львович Корчной, IPA: [vʲiktər lʲvovʲɪtɕ kɐrtɕˈnoj]; 23 March 1931 – 6 June 2016) was a Soviet (before 1976) and...
Viktor Schauberger (30 June 1885 – 25 September 1958) was an Austrian forest caretaker, naturalist, philosopher, inventor and pseudoscientist. Schauberger...
Viktor Mykolayovych Shokin (Ukrainian: Віктор Миколайович Шокін; born 4 November 1952) is a former Prosecutor General of Ukraine. Having previously worked...
Viktor Ivanovich Belenko (Russian: Виктор Иванович Беленко; February 15, 1947 – September 24, 2023) was a Russian-born American aerospace engineer and...
Viktor Thor William Jensen (born 30 December 1987) is an Icelandic racing driver, with dual (British) nationality. His father is Canadian-born British...
Viktor Petrovich Bryukhanov (Ukrainian: Віктор Петрович Брюханов, Russian: Виктор Петрович Брюханов; 1 December 1935 – 12 October 2021) was the manager...
Viktor Rossi (born 31 October 1968) is a Swiss politician and civil servant. A member of the Green Liberal Party, he became Vice-Chancellor of Switzerland...
Viktor Alekseyevich Zubkov (Russian: Ви́ктор Алексе́евич Зубко́в, IPA: [ˈvʲiktər ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ zʊpˈkof]; born 15 September 1941) is a Russian civil...
Viktor Anatolievich Gushan (Russian: Виктор Анатольевич Гушан; Romanian: Victor Gușan; born 9 September 1962) is a Moldovan–Russian businessman. Gushan...
Viktor Ivanovich Sukhorukov PAR (Russian: Виктор Иванович Сухоруков; born 10 November 1951) is a Russian actor. He has appeared in more than 50 films and...
Viktor Mikhailovich Chernov (Russian: Ви́ктор Миха́йлович Черно́в; December 7 [O.S. January 25], 1873 – April 15, 1952) was a Russian revolutionary and...
Viktor Vladimirovich Ponedelnik (Russian: Виктор Владимирович Понедельник, 22 May 1937 – 5 December 2020) was a Russian footballer and manager, who played...
Viktors Bertholds (16 January 1921 – 28 February 2009) was a Livonian and one of the last native speakers of the Livonian language. He was born in the...