Lee Sang-hwa has been banned from competing at the World Cup in Stavanger ©Getty Images

South Korea has banned double Olympic champion Lee Sang-hwa from competing at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup event in Stavanger after she missed the National Sprint Championships.

The 26-year-old, the gold medallist over 500 metres at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, is the current World Cup leader over the distance but has seen an appeal against the decision thrown out by the Korea Skating Union (KSU).

She claimed that she did not know about a KSU rule change which insists on skaters taking part in key domestic competitions to retain their international eligibility.

Previously, skaters who had made the national team prior to the World Cup season were eligible to compete at every event, regardless of their participation in domestic meetings.

Her absence from Stavanger could impact her World Cup ambitions this season with action set for the Norwegian city between Janaury 29 and 31.

She has raced at all four World Cup events this season but will now have to wait until the World Cup Final in Heerenveen in The Netherlands to resume her campaign.

The season-ending event  is due to take place between March 11 and 13.

The South Korean is the current ISU World Cup leader over 500 metres
The South Korean is the current ISU World Cup leader over 500 metres ©Getty Images

"I'd been training without a club, and I didn't know about the change," Lee said at a press conference in South Korea.

"I admit it was my mistake not to find out about it beforehand, but I'd still love to skate at the World Cup."

Lee, the 500m world record holder after clocking 36.36sec at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City in November 2013, admitted that she may have skipped the Sprint Championships anyway in order to recuperate after several knee injuries.

"I needed to take some time off after four World Cups to prevent injuries," she said. 

"The schedule was too tight for me to properly get ready."

Lee has 680 points on top of the World Cup standings for the distance, ahead of American Heather Richardson who has 560. 

One hundred points are available for a race victory in Stavanger, which could see the gap cut ahead of Heerenveen. 

"Rules must apply equally to all athletes," a KSU statement said.

"It's unfortunate she won't be able to compete in the fifth World Cup."

Lee's next event may now be the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships, due to take place from Feburary 11 to 14 in Kolomna, Russia.