South Korean abbreviated way velocity skater Shim Suk-hee, who was astatine the centre of nationalist sentiment for revealing carnal and intersexual maltreatment by her erstwhile coach, has been dropped from the nationalist squad implicit arguable substance messages, putting her hopes of taking portion successful the Winter Olympics successful jeopardy.
Two-time Olympic golden medalist Shim had accused 1 of her nationalist squad coaches, Cho Jae-beom, successful 2018 of rape and intersexual assault. Cho was sentenced to 13 years successful situation connected September 10 according to the Suwon High Court.
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But the substance messages Shim exchanged with different erstwhile nationalist squad manager successful 2018, which South Korea's nationalist quality bureau Yonhap says person been leaked to the media from grounds Cho's lawyer submitted for the trial, person been a root of contention with months to spell until the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Mocking teammates
In substance messages exchanged with an unnamed women's nationalist squad manager during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Seoul-based online quality outlet Dispatch reported that the 2 mocked Shim's teammates Choi Min-jeong and Kim A-lang, whom she had competed alongside successful the 3,000m relay.
Shim has apologised for "disappointing and scarring galore radical with my immature words, behaviour and cognition astatine the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics," successful a connection released by her absorption Galaxia SM.
"I particularly would similar to accidental atrocious from the bottommost of my bosom to Kim A-lang, Choi Min-jeong and the coaching unit who would person been shocked by the news," she added successful the statement.
In the substance messages, Shim said she cheered connected China's Qu Chuyu astatine the women's 500m quarterfinals astatine the 2018 Winter Olympics, alternatively of her teammate Choi.
When Choi cried successful an interrogation aft being disqualified successful the 500m final, Shim texted: "That interrogation was rubbish."
Shim adjacent said that the South Korean abbreviated way 3,000m relay women's squad should person been disqualified aft winning golden with her teammates. "I'm embarrassed that we won a gold," Shim texted to the coach, who replied: "I'm embarrassed."
Choi's absorption company, All That Sports, released a connection connected Tuesday citing its CEO Koo Dong-hoi's interest implicit the "unpatriotic act" Shim could execute astatine adjacent year's Olympics aft she had supported a Chinese skater astatine the erstwhile Games.
"Supporting a nationalist teammate's Chinese hostile astatine a nationalist space, astatine an Olympics held successful our country, contempt her teammate competing, cannot beryllium understood with communal consciousness arsenic she's a nationalist jock with a Taegeuk [Korean flag] people connected her chest," Koo said.
Shim said she was mentally and physically unstable astatine the clip owed to erstwhile manager Cho's abuse, which gave her concussion symptoms.
"I couldn't power the choler successful me, truthful I'm inactive reflecting connected showing an assertive cognition and immature broadside of maine to others," she said, citing Cho's abuse.
Possible contention fixing
On apical of mocking her teammates, Shim is besides accused of alleged contention fixing astatine the abbreviated way women's 1,000m last successful Pyeongchang. Shim and the unnamed manager notation "Bradbury" respective times successful their substance messages days earlier the final.
The manager texted: "If you person strength, let's marque Bradbury," to which Shim agreed.
Steven Bradbury is an Australian velocity skater renowned for winning the astir unexpected golden astatine the 2002 Winter Olympics. He was near to transverse the decorativeness enactment unsocial arsenic each the different competitors successful the contention tumbled and fell connected the ice.
The 2 talked astir making a pistillate Bradbury respective times successful their substance messages.
During the 1,000m last astatine the 2018 Winter Olympics, Shim and Choi tangled and collided connected the crystal arsenic they raced connected the outer people of the track. Choi finished 4th and Shim was disqualified, starring to speculation successful airy of the substance messages that she whitethorn person deliberately caused the collision.
But Shim, successful her statement, afloat denied the anticipation that she was contention fixing.
"I'd similar to clarify the portion successful the nonfiction that stated that I fell down intentionally astatine the Olympics, referring to Bradbury, is not existent astatine all," Shim said, portion apologising for scarring her teammates.
Choi's representatives requested that the Korea Skating Union (KSU) and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) look into the lawsuit and verify the facts regarding imaginable intentional collision.
Koo stated: "Choi Min-jeong had not lone missed her promising accidental to triumph a golden aft colliding with her teammate, but she was besides earnestly injured ... arsenic she wounded her genu ligaments successful the collision."
He added that if Shim and the manager did effort and deliberately technologist a concern akin to Bradbury's, the substance should beryllium considered a "criminal act" that harmed Choi.
Separated from the nationalist team
Shim became a nationalist icon aft sharing her acquisition of intersexual abuse. But present the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is postponing its program to grant Shim astatine its National Sports Award ceremonial connected Friday until a last decision is made from the probe by the KSU and KSOC, the ministry authoritative confirmed to CNN.
The KSU temporarily banned Shim from the nationalist grooming halfway connected Monday, separating her from the remainder of the nationalist team.
"We deliberation it's hard [for Shim and the nationalist team] to enactment and bid unneurotic ... We request to analyse the issues, truthful we decided that we shouldn't hastily support them successful the nationalist squad unneurotic close now," the KSU authoritative told CNN.
Shim has been dropped from the nationalist squad up of the International Skating Union's abbreviated way velocity skating satellite cup, acceptable to footwear disconnected successful Beijing adjacent week, but she could inactive vie successful the 2022 Beijing Olympics if the probe finds nary fault.
The KSU and KSOC are presently forming an probe committee that would statesman looking into the lawsuit by checking the facts and listening to the stories of the individuals involved.
Since the committee itself does not person ineligible force, it volition chiefly absorption connected crippled operations similar imaginable intentional collision, the KSU authoritative said. Shim volition bespeak connected her "past immature attitude" and strive -- arsenic she has been doing -- to amusement a amended self, she said successful the connection wherever she emphasised that determination is nary transportation betwixt her substance messages and the 1,000m final.
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