Short Track - Men's 500 m - 2014 Winter Olympics

 Viktor Ahn

(Виктор Ан)

Gold Medal

Russian Federation

Viktor Ahn (Russian: Виктор Ан; born November 23, 1985), also known as Ahn Hyun-soo (Korean: 안현수) and Victor An, is a Russian short track speed skating athlete of South Korean descent. After competing for South Korea since childhood, in 2011 he became a Russian citizen and now races for the Russian team. One of the most accomplished short track speed skaters of all time, Ahn won three gold medals and a bronze medal in 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy, becoming the most successful athlete there. He has also won three gold medals and one bronze medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia. He is also a five-time Overall World Champion for 2003–2007.

After winning gold in Sochi, Ahn explained his reasons for joining the Russian team saying, "I wanted to train in the best possible environment and I proved my decision was not wrong." As expected, a gold-winning athlete leaving the national team caused public uproar in South Korea. However, it was aimed not at Ahn, but at the country's skating union. Most South Korean fans in a poll said they understood Ahn's decision.

J. R. Celski

6th Place

USA

John Robert "J.R." Celski (/ˈsɛlski/, born July 17, 1990) is an American short track speed skater and two-time bronze medalist in the Winter Olympics.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Celski won bronze in the 1500 m and the 5000 m relay. His bronze medal in the 1500 m was a result of two Korean skaters crashing into each other. Leading into the crash, he was in fifth place.  Five months before the Olympics, Celski suffered a gruesome injury when he fell during a race and his right skate blade gashed his left thigh and was uncertain if he would compete at the Olympics.

Celski's breakthrough performance was at the 2009 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships where he won five medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze). Overall, Celski has won two gold medals, two silver medals, and four bronze medals at the World Championships. He also has one bronze medal at the World Team Championships and five medals (two gold, one silver, three bronze) at the World Junior Championships.