Speed skater Ahn Hyun-Soo gives up S Korean citizenship

Star speed skater Ahn Hyun-Soo said on Wednesday he would give up his South Korean citizenship and become Russian so that he can perform for his new country at the Winter Olympics in 2014.Ahn, 25, a three-time Olympic and five-time world champion in short track speed skating said on his website that he has made the decision in order to focus on skating in a better environment.I have been informed that if I gain Russian citizenship, my (South Korean) citizenship will automatically be nullified, he said.I will practise earnestly in order to show my best performance in the upcoming Olympic Games and not to regret my decision.The star has been training in Russia -- which hosts the 2014 Games in Sochi -- since June this year, after he fell into a slump due to a knee injury in 2008.He failed to make the South Korean national team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.Hes been deeply hurt. He had no supporters here, his father, Ahn Ki-Won, was quoted by Yonhap news agency.Ahn will take part in a selection competition next month for Russias national team.The Russian Skaters Union (RSU) Tuesday said it had requested citizenship for Ahn, with the backing of the sports ministry.He renounced his Korean citizenship and decided to put his faith in Russia, said RSU president Alexei Kravtsov, adding that he hoped Ahn would receive a Russian passport in October.The sensational move comes with Russia -- a dominant force in winter sports during the Soviet era -- aiming to win about a dozen gold medals at the Sochi Games.South Korea leads the all-time short track medal tally with 19 gold medals and 37 medals overall.