Chun Jae-su ( File photo)
Chun Jae-su, the South Korean-born head coach of the U.S. short-track skating team, has resigned, bowing to weeks of pressure amid ugly accusations of skate tampering and physical abuse, a news report said.
Chun’s top assistant from South Korea, Yeo Jun-hyung, also stepped down, according to the Washington Post.
They have been accused of physically and emotionally abusing players.
But an investigation conducted by the law firm White & Case on behalf of U.S. Speedskating concluded last week that Chun and Yeo were not involved in such acts toward their athletes.
The duo, however, admitted to being aware of the actions of a U.S. skater, Simon Cho, who sabotaged the skate of a Canadian rival during the sport’s 2011 world team championships in Warsaw.
Cho maintains he did so at the direction of his coaches.
The national governing body suspended the coaches through the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The coaches were once lauded for transforming the U.S. squad into a strong team.
Chun, 42, coached the South Korean and Canadian national teams before taking over the U.S. team in 2007.
Under Chun’s tutelage, the U.S. won two silver and four bronze medals in Vancouver in 2010, breaking the national record for the most short-track medals at a single Winter Games by two. (Yonhap News)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
