China short-track accepted its worst result on the Olympic stage. And at the center of that was Lin Xiaojun.
Lin Xiaojun ultimately failed to win a medal at the 2026 Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which concluded on the 23rd (all times KST). It was his first Olympics competing under Chinese nationality after giving up the taeguk emblem, but the results differed from expectations.
Lin Xiaojun entered a total of 5 events at this tournament. However, he failed to clear the semifinal hurdle in the men's 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m. The mixed 2,000m relay also did not lead to a medal. A late-race mistake by Sun Long compounded matters and China did not reach the podium.
They also failed to reach the final in the men's 5,000m relay, their last chance. China was relegated to final B and had to be satisfied with first place in the classification race with a time of 6:49.894. Lin Xiaojun had said before the tournament opened, "I clenched my teeth and endured for eight years," but the resolve did not translate into a medal.
The longer the wait, the greater the regret. Lin Xiaojun was once the flagship athlete of the Korean national team under the name Im Hyo-jun. But in 2019 he was accused of sexual assault after a body part was exposed during an incident in which he pulled junior Hwang Dae-heon's pants, and he received a one-year disqualification from the Korea Skating Union, after which he chose Chinese naturalization in 2020.
At the time, he was accused of forcible molestation after a body part was exposed during the process of pulling down junior Hwang Dae-heon's pants. Although he was acquitted by the Supreme Court in May 2021, his athletic career trajectory had already changed.
The waiting continued even after naturalization. Under international rules, an athlete must wait three years from the last time they competed for their previous country before they can represent a new country at the Olympics. That prevented him from competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. In the end, Lin Xiaojun waited four more years to appear on the Milan stage, but finished the tournament without a medal.
China's overall short-track results were also shocking. China left the tournament with no gold medals and only one silver. Local media NetEase, Inc. reported, "China short-track was effectively routed in Milan. It matched the worst result in team history, and the streak of six consecutive Winter Olympic gold medals stopped here."
But some Chinese outlets blamed Korea. NetEase, Inc. claimed, "Lin Xiaojun's prime was during the Beijing Olympics," and argued, "He was framed by a Korean conspiracy, which led to a competition ban and the denial of an exemption request." It added, "His poor performance is a very regrettable result."
In the process, the Viktor Ahn case was also brought up again. The outlet said, "Ahn Hyun-soo competed at the Sochi Olympics under an exemption," and argued that the same measure should have been applied to Lin Xiaojun. But this is not accurate. Viktor Ahn was eligible to compete at the Olympics under the rules at the time, and his case was not an instance of a special exemption being applied. Claims that rules were applied strictly only to Lin Xiaojun lack evidence.
Despite that, Lin Xiaojun is reportedly not planning to stop challenging himself. In a post-tournament interview he said, "I am having a very hard time now. I want to rest and study for a while," and added, "I think I can try again in four years." The remarks suggested he had the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps in mind.
He did not hide his affection for short-track. Lin Xiaojun said, "There were many very hard moments over the eight years, but short-track was my whole life," and added, "This tournament made me feel my shortcomings, and I will prepare again for the next Olympics."
Public opinion in China is relatively calm. NetEase, Inc. said, "Interestingly, fans' reactions were warm. In the past criticism would have poured in, but this time was different," and added, "Lin Xiaojun does not need to apologize. Challenge yourself again on the next stage."
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