Olympics: Korean skier files injunction after missing team - report

[January 30, 2018]    SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean skier Kyung Sung-hyun has filed a court injunction against the Korean Ski Association (KSA) after it overlooked him for selection for next month's Pyeongchang Winter Games, Yonhap News has reported.

South Korea's Kyung Sung-hyun competes in the first run of the men's alpine skiing giant slalom event in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Segar

The 27-year-old, who competed in the giant slalom and slalom in Sochi in 2014, had filed the case with Seoul Eastern District Court, claiming the KSA did not follow proper voting rules when selecting skiers for the Feb. 9-25 Games, Yonhap said.

The KSA said on Tuesday it had no official response or statement to make on the matter.

Last week, the KSA said four alpine skiers, two men and two women, would be chosen for Pyeongchang. Jung Dong-hyun and Kim Dong-woo were named as the men's representatives.

Yonhap said Kyung had been the only alpine skiing representative at the launch of Team Korea last Wednesday and that he only found out he had been overlooked for the Games shortly afterwards.

Yonhap quoted KSA vice-president Lee Jae-chan as saying the selection process had been legitimate but Kyung's presence at the launch ceremony was a mistake.

"We admit that it was a reckless decision to make Kyung attend the national team launch ceremony even though his Olympic participation wasn't confirmed," he said.

(Wrting by Peter Rutherford; Reporting by Jane Chung; Editing by John O'Brien)

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