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| ▲ South Korean short track speed skater Shim Suk-hee speaks to reporters before attending a disciplinary hearing by the Korea Skating Union (KSU) at the KSU's headquarters in Seoul on Dec. 21, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Korean short track speed skater Shim Suk-hee leaves the Korea Skating Union's headquarters in Seoul after attending a disciplinary hearing on Dec. 21, 2021. (Yonhap) |
skater-Olympics
Olympic short track champion Shim Suk-hee banned for 2 months for disparaging teammates, Beijing status in limbo
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- Two-time Olympic short track speed skating champion Shim Suk-hee was slapped with a two-month ban for disparaging coaches and teammates Tuesday, a decision that, barring a successful appeal, will keep her out of the Beijing Winter Games in February.
The Korea Skating Union (KSU) held a disciplinary meeting Tuesday at its Seoul headquarters to hand down the punishment on Shim, who denigrated members of the South Korean team in expletive-laden text exchanges with a national team coach during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
Their text messages, leaked to the media in October, were included in an argument submitted by legal representatives for Cho Jae-beom, another ex-national team coach then under trial for alleged sexual and physical assault of Shim.
With the Beijing Winter Olympics scheduled to open on Feb. 4, the two-month penalty will make the 24-year-old Shim ineligible unless she can get the ban reduced via a court injunction or an appeal with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC).
Shim, who has won a relay gold medal at each of the past two Olympics, will be in a time crunch. The KSOC's next disciplinary meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14. The deadline to submit the Olympic short track entry is Jan. 24.
Shim attended the hearing but had few words for the media before entering the KSU building, only saying she would "state facts and cooperate with the proceedings in good faith."
Shim didn't respond when asked whether she would apologize to the national team.
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