A report from Reuters indicates the South Korea sports ministry is launching an inquiry into each of the seven national federations ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
The inquiry comes after controversies involving athletes at the Sochi Olympics. Transplanted speed skater Viktor Ahn, formerly known as Hyun-soo Ahn, who won three medals at the 2006 Olympics in Turin for South Korea, changed nationalities to win three more medals for Russia in Sochi.
Last week, members of the women’s curling team threatened to quit in protest over treatment by their coaches.
The Reuters report says evidence of corruption will be turned over to the police and prosecutors.
"We have heard continuing allegations of misconduct, as well as complaints such as suspicions surrounding Ahn Hyun-soo's failure to make it to the national team, recent sexual harassment allegations within the curling team and ... accusations that violence was used by coaching staff in the luge team, therefore we are losing trust in sports organizations," the sports ministry says in a statement.
"The ministry has launched a special investigation to discover any illegal activities going on within these organizations and come up with measures to deal with them in a transparent and fair manner," says the ministry statement.
"This investigation, unlike the previous one on the general administration of sports association conducted last year, will focus on the national team selection process and the management of facilities and equipment," the ministry said.
Asian Games Chief Seeks Increased North Korea Participation
The head of the 2014 Asian Games, set for Incheon, South Korea in September, is asking for assistance to boost the participation of North Korea.
Meeting on the sidelines of the ANOC Council meeting yesterday in Kuwait, organizing committee president Young Soo Kim asked IOC president Thomas Bach to help assure a full team from the north for the games.
North Korea has already indicated that it will send men’s and women’s football teams to Incheon, but has not disclosed if athletes in other sports will attend.
A statement from the Asian Games organizing committee says that Bach agreed to help and confirmed he would attend the opening of the games.
Written by Ed Hula
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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