Lin Xiaojun (29, Korean name: Lim Hyo-jun), who naturalized in China, revealed that he felt pride during the award ceremony after winning the only gold medal in short track among Chinese male athletes at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games.
In a recent interview with the Chinese version of Fort, Lin Xiaojun emphasized his identity as a Chinese and explained the reasons for his hard work in learning Chinese. The Chinese portal Wangyi.com reported on Lin Xiaojun’s interview on the 17th.
Lin Xiaojun won a gold medal in the men's 500 meters, a silver medal in the men's 1500 meters, and a bronze medal in the men's 5000 meters relay at the Harbin Winter Asian Games. He is the only male athlete from China to win a gold medal in short track.
After competing as a representative for South Korea at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and winning a gold medal, Lin Xiaojun became embroiled in a scandal in 2019. The Korea Skating Union suspended him for one year, leading to his naturalization in China in 2020.
This is the first time Lin Xiaojun has participated in an international comprehensive competition as a member of the Chinese national team.
In this interview, he said, "I am very proud to win a gold medal representing the Chinese team and raise the Five-star Red Flag on the podium."
Lin Xiaojun also noted, "I am a perfectionist," adding, "I naturally want to communicate and interact with the media in Chinese because I am Chinese."
He continued, "Some people think I am not Chinese because my Chinese is not very good, but I have decided to learn Chinese well since I will be living in China in the future. Then I will be able to refute those doubting me. If I can speak fluent Chinese, no one will say such things anymore."