U.S. silver medalist John-Henry Krueger switches to Hungary
USA TODAY Sports' Martin Rogers travels with silver medal winner John-Henry Krueger's parents and witnesses their son's greatest night.
USA TODAY Sports
John-Henry Krueger, who won a silver medal in short-track speedskating at the Winter Olympics in February, will no longer compete for the United States and will switch allegiance to Hungary, he confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Monday.
Krueger became the only American short-tracker to land on the podium when he placed second in the 1,000-meter event in Pyeongchang, and his decision came four days after he and other Olympians met with President Trump at the White House.
In a Facebook conversation with USA TODAY Sports, Krueger confirmed that he will move from the US Speedskating program and compete for the Hungarian national team.
In a separate Facebook post, his mother Heidi Krueger had earlier announced the move.
“Today John-Henry accepted the Hungarian's offer to represent Hungary," she wrote. "Be clear JH did not leave his country, but is leaving the federation that callously abandoned him on so many fronts long ago and then refused to thoughtfully consider any of JH's concerns, opinions, and requirements."
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Krueger and his family have long had a strained relationship with US Speedskating and he trained firstly in South Korea and then the Netherlands in the build-up to his Olympic success. His brother Cole has been based in Hungary and trained with that country’s national team for the past two years, but did not qualify for the 2018 Olympics.
Throughout his Olympic campaign, Krueger voiced only support for the U.S. team and his colleagues, although it was an open secret within speedskating circles that he was frustrated at several matters relating to the national federation and its policies.
"JH will have dual citizenship like Cole," Heidi Krueger added. "He is looking forward to training hard with his new team of amazing skaters and the world class coaches and staff that make up the Hungarian Short Track Federation."
She continued: "JH did his job, he won a Medal for the USA. Now it is time to move on and make choices that will help him be the best skater he can be in 2022. All of our US skating friends will always be our friends....in that regard nothing changes."
Losing Krueger is a significant blow for the U.S. short-track program. Krueger was the star of the team, capping off his surge through the qualifying stages of the 1,000 with a determined and courageous display in the final.
At 23, he is seen as both a present and future star of the sport. Hungary has fought hard to increase its ability in short-track and its men's relay team took gold in Pyeongchang.
Winter sports in the U.S. often struggle for funding and the Krueger family has gone to extreme lengths to support their sons. In December, USA TODAY Sports interviewed Krueger and his mother as they drove from Salt Lake City back to the family home in Pittsburgh as a cost saving measure. Weeks before the Olympics, John-Henry flew back to the Netherlands for training on Christmas Day in order to get a cheaper flight.
At the Olympics, USA TODAY Sports followed Heidi Kruger and her husband Brian on their journey from Yangyang, two hours outside Pyeongchang, to the arena — on the night of John-Henry’s silver medal.
When contacted by telephone, US Speedskating did not have immediate comment, but indicated that an executive would address the matter later Monday.
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