South Korean Olympic short track medallists face three-year ban for race-fixing

TWO South Korean Olympic short track speed skating medallists have been banned for three years amid alleged involvement in a race-fixing scandal.

HOT WATER: Double Olympic champion Lee Jung-Su is at the centre of a race-fixing scandal and has been banned for three years along with Kwak Yoon-Gy (Getty Images)

Lee Jung-Su, who won gold in the 1000m and 1500m and Kwak Yoon-Gy, a silver medallist in the 5000m relay, have both been banned by the Korea Skating Union until April 2013 for allegedly helping to fix competitions and national team trials in March.

The news could not come at a worse time for the Korean Olympic Committee and is sure to act as a significant blow to Pyeongchang's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The three-year ban is more stringent than the 12-month suspension proposed by a special joint commission of inquiry that met last month.