Lee Ho-suk

Personal information
Native name	이호석
Born	(1986-06-25) June 25, 1986 (age 37)[1] Seoul, South Korea[2]
Height	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight	62 kg (137 lb)[1]
Sport
Country	South Korea
Sport	Speed skating
Club	Goyang City
Retired	April 12, 2015[3]
World championship wins	2010 Overall 2009 Overall
Medal record Men's short track speed skating Representing  South Korea Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 4 0 World Championships 9 7 3 World Team Championships 3 0 1 Olympic Games 2006 Turin 5000 m relay 2006 Turin 1000 m 2006 Turin 1500 m 2010 Vancouver 1000 m 2010 Vancouver 5000 m relay World Championships 2008 Gangneung 1000 m 2008 Gangneung 5000 m relay 2009 Vienna Overall 2009 Vienna 1000 m 2009 Vienna 1500 m 2010 Sofia Overall 2010 Sofia 1000 m 2010 Sofia 3000 m 2010 Sofia 5000 m relay 2006 Minneapolis Overall 2006 Minneapolis 1000 m 2006 Minneapolis 1500 m 2008 Gangneung Overall 2008 Gangneung 1500 m 2009 Vienna 3000 m 2014 Montreal 5000 m relay 2006 Minneapolis 500 m 2010 Sofia 1500 m 2012 Shanghai 5000 m Relay World Team Championships 2006 Montréal Team 2009 Heerenveen Team 2010 Bormio Team 2008 Harbin Team World Junior Championships 2003 Budapest Overall 2004 Beijing Overall 2005 Belgrade Overall

Lee Ho-suk (Korean: 이호석, Hanja: 李昊錫, Korean pronunciation: [i.ɦo.sʌk̚]; born June 25, 1986^[1]) is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won a gold medal as a part of 5000 m short-track relay team and four silver medals in 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy. He is the overall world champion for 2009 and 2010.

Career

Known especially for his dynamic outside pass, Lee is regarded as one of the best young skaters in the world. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Lee made a thrilling move to pass Apolo Ohno on the final lap of the 1000 m, securing a 1-2 finish for Korea in the event.^[4]

Lee won three consecutive overall World Junior titles from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, his first full season on the World Cup circuit, Lee finished second behind Ahn Hyun-Soo in the overall standings. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Lee earned two individual silver medals in the 1000 and 1500 meters behind his teammate, Ahn Hyun-Soo at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Lee also won gold in the 5000 meter relay along with countrymen Ahn Hyun-Soo, Seo Ho-Jin and Song Suk-Woo. The Korean team defeated two-time defending Olympic champion Canada with a powerful pass by Ahn in the closing laps.^[4] Lee also finished second overall at the 2006 Short Track World Championships held in Minneapolis, MN.

At the 2009 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Vienna, Lee became the Overall World Champion^[5] and went on to win his domestic Olympic Trials a few months later, becoming the leader of the Korean Short Track Team, as well as one of the top contenders to win gold in 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, South Korea was in position to sweep the 1500m until Lee accidentally crashed into Sung Si-Bak and took them both out of contention entering the final turn, giving the silver and bronze medals to Americans Apolo Ohno and J. R. Celski, respectively. He was disqualified^[6] because he caused the crash with Sung Si-Bak.^[7] He qualified for the final round of the quarter finals of the 1000m short track race with a time of 1:25.925.^[1] Lee won his second consecutive Overall World Championships after the Olympics.