Lim Hyo Jun will not skate for China at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

Lim Hyo Jun will not skate for China at Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 – The 2018 Pyeongchang Games 1500 meters gold medallist Lim Hyo Jun will not be able to compete for China at Beijing 2022 Winter Games. The news first came from a South Korean media house. 

Lim Hyo Jun is a controversial Olympic champion. In 2019, he was charged with sexual harassment of a male teammate, for pulling down their trousers in front of female teammates. Following that, he was banned for a year by the Korean Skating Union in August 2019. Later, he was found guilty of the charge and was fined US$2,500 and mandatory court therapy of 40 hours. 

Later, this verdict was overturned by Korean Supreme Court in June. After that decision, the six-time world champion Lim Hyo jun decided to apply for Chinese citizenship in March. This decision was taken with the hope of competing at the Beijing Olympics. 

However, according to the Olympic policy, the athlete must pass three years between competing for different nations. 

Also Read: Winter Olympics Biathlon 2022 Schedule: How to Watch, Medal Winners List

Lim also won a bronze medal in the 500m event at the ISU World Championships in March 2019. This means he would miss out on being eligible to represent China at the upcoming Winter Olympics 2022 by a month. No doubt, there are few exceptions to these rules. The relevant national committee can overrule the 3-year cooling-off period but according to SBS, the Chinese authorities see no intention to overrule the decision. 

The Korean official told the local newspaper, “It will be difficult to allow [Lim’s participation in the Olympics] considering its impact on the Korean national team and the social sentiment”

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held from 4th to 20th February. The event will take place in Beijing, China. The IOC has already barred the overseas spectators from the event and only Chinese supporters will be able to attend the Winter Olympics 2022.

Biathlon

Biathlon is one of the most challenging winter games that give thrilling experiences both for viewers and participants. This winter sport is a mixture of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting which is scheduled to kick start soon from 4th February 2022. It is one of the difficult sports events to be conducted mostly comprises of a combination of five events – individual, sprint, relay, pursuit, and mass start.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) is the official body that decides the rules and regulations for Biathlon. So here we have come up with the updates Biathlon Rulebook 2022.

Also Read: Winter Olympics Biathlon 2022 Schedule: How to Watch, Medal Winners List

What is the objective of Biathlon Rules & Regulations?

The main objective of the Biathlon sports event is to ski at high speed, conserving energy to hit five targets at the rifle range as fast as possible. It is one of the most popular winter sports televised across Europe live which is enjoyed by more than 40000 spectators.

Rules & Regulations of Biathlon

• The biathlete skis from a distance ranging from 6 km to 20 km targeting two or four times.
• The shooting distance to shot is always 50m.
• The diameters depend on the shooting position.  In the standing position, it is 115mm in diameter, and in the prone position, it is 45mm.
• There is an individual event penalty of an extra one minute for each target missed or a 150m penalty loop immediately after each session of shooting.
• The individual and sprint event begins with one biathlete at a time. The gap between the two events is 30 seconds.
• In the relay event, all the teams from the first members begin the race at the same time.
• Right from the beginning of the race till the end, the biathletes are solely responsible for their actions and decisions like selecting a shooting lane in the Relay and Mass start, also counting the total number of targets they missed to shoot and skiing the exact number of penalty loops.
• The Skier must carry his rifle throughout the race.
• There is also a new concept of Relay Race a “Mixed Relays, where female biathletes complete the first and second part of the relay race. The male biathletes compete in the third and fourth parts of the race.
• The procedures and rules from the relay race are followed by the biathletes from the Mixed Relay.
• A Biathlete must respect and adhere to the rules and regulations of the competition they are participating in.

Biathlon Scoring System

The Biathlon Scoring system is based on the biathlete with the highest-ranking score and nations of each WC season. The score for each event at the Biathlon is allocated as follows

• For First Position – 60 points
• For Second Position – 54 Points
• For Third Position – 48 Points
• For Fourth Position – 43 Points
• For Fifth Position – 40 Points
• For Sixth Position – 38 Points
• For Seventh Position – 36 Points
• For Eight Position – 34 Points
• For Ninth Position – 32 Points
• For Tenth Position – 31 Points

The Points goes on decreasing by one point up to 40th position. In the case of a tie, an equal number of points are given to the respective biathletes.

IOC bans foreign spectators – After a successful Tokyo Olympics within the covid crisis, IOC is all set to conduct the Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing, China. The necessary steps for the smooth proceedings have been started by the International Olympics Committee. 

The IOC has officially banned foreign spectators from the Beijing Winter Olympics. A strict 21 days quarantine is mandatory for non-fully vaccinated athletes, officials and workers. Moreover, daily testing is necessary for vaccinated athletes. No tickets will be sold to the spectators residing outside China. 

On Wednesday, IOC discussed the strict action plan for the successful conducting of Winter Olympics 2022. China has imposed stricter rules than the Tokyo Olympics. Within a strict regime of testing, the Tokyo Olympics did not demand the athletes to be fully vaccinated.

Games participants who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing,” the IOC said in a statement

Even though it will be disappointing news for foreign spectators, the IOC welcomes the Chinese spectators into the stadiums. This will create a buzz within the venue and will create a favorable atmosphere for the athletes to perform. The 2021 Tokyo Olympics was conducted in front of empty stands. 

This will be the second Olympics within the pandemic situations where the families of the athletes will not be allowed to travel along with them and support them.

The Tokyo Olympics faced the protests of being conducted in pandemic while the Beijing Winter Olympics has its own problems. Many countries have called out to boycott the games due to China’s role in the spreading coronavirus. The IOC overcame the Tokyo Olympics and similarly plan to overcome the Beijing Winter Olympics issues as well.

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be conducted from 4th to 20th February. The capital of China, Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics.