*This content was translated by AI.
Lin Xiaojun (Korean name Lim Hyo-jun), who emerged as a Korean short track hero at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, will make his first Olympic appearance as a Chinese athlete. As Chinese sports authorities officially announced the Olympic squad, Lin Xiaojun's participation was finally confirmed. As a result, it is inevitable to face off with the Korean national team.
Chinese media 'Xinhua News Agency' and China's National Sports Agency's Winter Sports Management Center announced the list of 124 athletes to participate in the 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics on the 23rd (Korea Standard Time).
Lin Xiaojun was proudly listed on the short track team list. The Chinese short track team consists of a total of 10 players. In the men's division, Liu Xiaoang, Sun Long, Zhang Bohao, and Li Wenlong, who were naturalized in Hungary, led by Lin Xiaojun, were selected.
Lin Xiaojun's participation in the Olympics is the first time in eight years since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, when he played as a Korean national. At the PyeongChang Olympics, where he played under the name of Lim Hyo-joon, he won the men's 1,500m gold medal and the 500m bronze medal, playing as the ace of Korean short track.
However, the following year, in June 2019, he suffered an ordeal when he was accused of exposing part of his body by lowering his fellow Hwang Dae-heon's pants during training at Jincheon Training Center. The Korean Skating Union imposed a one-year suspension of athletes' qualifications, and Lin Xiaojun chose to naturalize in China in June 2020 amid disciplinary and legal battles.
After a long court battle, he was acquitted by the Supreme Court of forced harassment in May 2021, but his nationality had already changed to China.
Immediately after naturalization, Lin Xiaojun aimed to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. However, he had to watch the Olympics in China from the stand because he was hampered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter, which states that he can only participate in the Olympics three years after he participates as an existing national.
Lin Xiaojun, who was desperate, returned to the international stage as a member of the Chinese national team from the 2022-2023 season and improved his skills. He showed off his robustness by winning three gold medals at the 2023-2024 World Championships, and won one gold and one bronze at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games held in February. Even though he underwent shoulder surgery immediately after the Asian Games, he met the requirements for individual medals in the first to fourth short track world tours of the 2025-2026 International Skating Union (ISU), which were China's own selection criteria. He won a silver medal in the men's 500m in the third round of the last world tour, proving his qualification and joining the final list.
With the addition of Lin Xiaojun, the match against the South Korean national team has become the biggest point to watch this Olympics. In particular, Hwang Dae-heon, who has been involved in bad relationships in the past, is included in the Korean national team.
The final destination is the mixed 2,000-meter relay, which will be held on February 10 at the beginning of the competition. South Korea and China are considered the strongest contenders for the 2000-meter mixed relay. South Korea has won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal in four mixed world tour relays this season, becoming the world's No. 1 candidate. South Korea will set up the strongest lineup ever, including Hwang Dae-heon, Lim Jong-eon, Choi Min-jeong, and Kim Ki-li, to hunt for the first gold medal in short track. Lin Xiaojun is also expected to block South Korea's path as the mainstay of the Chinese national team.
The 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics will open on February 6 and run until February 22. China won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the Beijing Olympics. South Korea won two gold medals and three silver medals, keeping its place as the world's strongest.
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*This content was translated by AI.
