With less than 10 months to go the Olympic Games in PyeongChang, The Korea Ski Association have decided to part ways with the team’s Russian coach Mikhail Devyatyarov and his aides Lee Jun-gil and Pak Byung-joo, Yonhap news agеncy reports.
Devyatyarov is the Olympic champion of Calgary’1988 where he won 15k classic race. He previously coached the Russian sprint team before accepting last July the KSA’s offer to train the Korean skiers for the Olympics.
The decision not to renew coaches’ contracts stems from the recent scandal in the Korean cross country skiing team at the the Asian Winter Games. Four Korean male skiers were caught drinking during the competition in Sapporo, Japan last February. Those involved were suspended from the team for six months, leaving the door open for their participation at the home Olympics.
Korea’s top racer and the biggest Olympic hope, Kim Magnus ( also known as Magnus Bøe) , who won the sprint and came second in 10k classic race the Asian Games, was not among those involved in drinking and continues his preparations unaffected.
Kim who is just 18, has a dual Korean-Norwegian citizenship and trains in Norway, where he just came second in skiathlon at the Juniors, behind another upcoming star of the circuit, Vebjoern Hegdal.
TOP PHOTO: Mikhail Devyatyarov and the Koreaт xc ski team being greeted by Santa Claus in Levi, Finland, Nov.2016. Photo courtesy of Eduvgo.ru
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