He will be officially unveiled at a three years to go event due to be held on Monday (February 9).

Lee has been a mainstay of the South Korean speed skating team since becoming a member aged 15, and he competed at six consecutive Winter Olympics, from Lillehammer 1994 to Sochi 2014.

He is often referred to as "the living legend of Korean speed skating" having won four International Skating Union (ISU) World Sprint Championships between 2007 and 2011 and is only one of four men to accomplish the feat of winning four titles.

During his career Lee set two world records and claimed four gold medals at the Asian Games, while his brother also represented the country in figure skating at two Winter Olympics, Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002.

Following his retirement after Sochi 2014, Lee has become a speed skating coach and commentator.

The 36-year-old also has a seat on the Pyeongchang 2018 Athletes Committee.

Lee Kyou-Hyuk represented South Korea at five Winter Olympics between Lillehammer 1994 an Sochi 2014 and broke two world records in his career ©Getty Images



Lee becomes the second ambassador from skating after 2010 figure skating Olympic champion Yuna Kim was announced in November.

He also becomes the seventh ambassador in total following Major League Baseball's Choo Shin-Soo, ballerina Kang Sue-jin, novelist Lee Oisoo, President of the World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations Byung Ha Kwon and musical ensemble Sejong Soloists.

Pyeongchang will be the first Asian hosts of the Winter Games for 20 years when they host the Games in 2018 and are expected to welcome 80 countries and 6,000 athletes to compete.

The Winter Olympic Games are set to take place between February 9 and 25, 2018, while the Winter Paralympics will follow from March 9 to 18.

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