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2018 WINTER OLYMPICS

Russia’s celebrated short tracker Viktor Ahn barred from 2018 Olympics — source

His team partners Denis Airapetyan and Vladimir Grigoryev have also been barred

Viktor Ahn EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

Viktor Ahn

© EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Six-time Olympic short track speed skating champion, Russian national Viktor Ahn has been barred from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea’s PyeongChang, a source familiar with the matter told TASS on Monday.

"Ahn has been barred from participation in the Olympic Games in PyeongChang. His teammates Denis Airapetyan and Vladimir Grigoryev have also been barred," the source said.

Viktor Ahn was born in South Korea’s Seoul as Ahn Hyun-Soo and initially competed for his native country’s team. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy’s Turin he brought South Korea three golds and one bronze medal in short track.

After the 2006 Olympics in Turin, a set of sustained injuries kept him sidelined from major short track competitions and before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada’s Vancouver he failed to qualify for the South Korean national team.

In 2011 he was granted the Russian citizenship and announced his decision to speed skate for Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he won three gold medals and one bronze medal.

He is also the six-time Overall World Champion, winning the titles in 2003-2007 and in 2014.

Grigoryev is a 2014 Sochi Olympic champion in a relay race and he also won five gold medals at European championships.

Airapetyan participated in the 2018 European Short Track Speed Skating Championship where he won a silver medal in a relay race.

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2018 Winter Olympics

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