[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea’s female pursuit team finishes last amid teamwork fiasco

South Korea’s female speedskating team on Wednesday lost its team pursuit playoff race against Poland finishing in eighth place.The result comes in the wake of a disputed race which triggered discussion on an apparent teamwork strife.Korea's three-member team of Kim Bo-reum, Park Ji-woo and Noh Seon-yeong (Yonhap)The three-member team of Kim Bo-reum, Park Ji-woo and Noh Seon-yeong clocked 3:07.30 in the event at Gangneung Oval in the eastern sub-host city of the 2018 Winter Games.During the quar

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Alpine snowboarding event rescheduled due to unfavorable weather forecast

Local organizers of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics said Wednesday that the men's and women's alpine snowboarding parallel giant slalom  events have been rescheduled due to unfavorable weather forecast. (Yonhap)The organizers said the PGS qualifiers will be held on Saturday at Phoenix Snow Park in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. The PGS qualifiers were originally slated for Thursday, but because "unpredictable weather" is expected that day, the organizers and the International Ski Federation jury

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korean, N. Korean hockey players bond over Oreo McFlurries at breakfast

When asked on Wednesday to recount her favorite memory of having been with North Korean teammates at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, South Korean forward Randi Heesoo Griffin didn't have to think for long."In the dining hall (at the Olympic Village) two days ago, I saw the North Koreans in lineup at McDonald's and I was also in line at McDonald's," Griffin said at a press conference at Team Korea House in Gangneung, breaking into a grin. "They were getting Oreo McFlurries for breakfast. We all

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] EXO thrilled by PyeongChang closer, hopes to meet skeleton sensation Yun

Members of K-pop act EXO said Wednesday they were thrilled to perform in front of what may be their biggest audience to date -- at the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics this weekend."None of us EXO members existed in 1988. I truly can't believe that we're part of the closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics," Suho, leader of the nine-member band, said at a press conference at the PyeongChang Olympic Main Press Centre at Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang.  K-pop band EXO p

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Veteran S. Korean cross-country skier bids adieu to Winter Games

South Korean veteran cross-country skier Lee Chae-won bid farewell to the Winter Olympic Games as she competed in her last event, in her hometown on Wednesday.Lee, the oldest South Korean athlete at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics at the age of 36, competed in the women's team sprint free with Ju Hye-ri at Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Centre, in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, where they finished last among 21 teams with a time of 19:17.  South Korean cross-country skier Lee Chae-won (L) poses f

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea fails to advance to cross-country skiing team sprint final

South Korean men and women failed to reach the cross-country skiing team sprint final at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Wednesday.The women's team, comprising Lee Chae-won and Ju Hye-ri, posted a time of 19 minutes, 19.17 seconds to finish last among 11 teams in the first semifinal group and was denied entry to the final round.  (Yonhap)At the PyeongChang Olympics, there are two heats in the semifinal round. The top two teams in each heat advance directly to the final, while six lucky losers

More SportsFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Moon congratulates women's short track skating team on victory in 3,000m relay

President Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory message to each of the five members of South Korea's women's short track skating team on Wednesday, one day after the team won the gold medal in the women's 3,000 meter relay."I congratulate the women's short track team on winning gold in the 3,000m relay," the president said, according to copies of his letters released by the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.This image provided by the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae shows a copy of the congratulato

More SportsFeb. 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] Witch hunt or mob justice? Inside South Korea’s world of ‘inseong’ trials of athletes

At a press conference that was abruptly arranged on Tuesday evening, Kim Bo-reum, South Korea’s speed skater, offered her public apology while tears rolled down her face. 　“I apologize to those who have been hurt or affected by my TV interview (regarding teammate Noh Seon-yeong),” the 25-year-old said, looking visibly shaken.　Her apology came shortly after hundreds of thousands of angry South Korean fans, believing Kim guilty of bullying her teammate, had filed a petition with the country’s pres

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[Graphic News] Winter Olympic Games: Nordic Combined

　Nordic combined brings together cross-country skiing, with its demand for strength and endurance, and ski jumping, which requires technical mastery and audacity. There are two individual events for men -- normal hill jumping with a 10-kilometer competition, and large hill jumping, also with a 10-kilometer race. The team events feature large hill jumping with a 4x5-kilometer relay.

SportsFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Women curlers glide smoothly into final four

The South Korean women’s curling team topped the round robin preliminaries with an 11-2 win over the Olympic Athletes from Russia at the PyeongChang Winter Games on Wednesday morning. The home team, now having seven wins and one loss in the preliminaries, had already made it to the final four as of Tuesday. It is the first time that South Korea has advanced to the semifinals in curling at the Winter Games.The team will wrap up its round robin session against Denmark later on Wednesday.The men’s

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang2018] Korea's male curling team beats Japan in last round-robin match

GANGNEUNG -- Korea's male curling team on Wednesday captured its fourth victory, against Japan, in its last round-robin match at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Posting four wins and five losses at the 2018 Winter Games, the Korean team failed to move on to semifinals, as did Japan, which needed to post one more victory to qualify for tie-breakers.While the Korean team already learned it would not be able to compete in the semifinals regardless of the result of the match with Japan, the home tea

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Chinese fans slam Koreans over speedskating penalty

Some of the infuriated Chinese fans have launched a verbal warfare against Korean counterparts on short track speedskater Choi Min-jeong’s Instagram account. The online confrontation came after the judges handed over the gold medal to Team Korea at the women’s 3,000-meter short track relay on Tuesday. Shim Suk-hee, Choi Min-jeong, Kim A-land and Kim Ye-jin went up against Team China, Italy and Canada in the finals relay Tuesday at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung. (Yonhap)The race was a very clo

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] ‘Yeong-mi-yah!’ and other hallmarks of curling sweeping Korea

The trail-blazing women’s curling team of South Korea is making Olympic history at PyeongChang, as it prepares for the medal match after securing a string of surprise victories over the world’s top teams in the winter strategy sport. And the team’s fast-growing fan base in Korea can’t seem to get enough of the four Olympic curlers from the small town of Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province.From curling-imitation parodies featuring vacuum robots and broomsticks to memes commemorating the team’s ste

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[Photo News] ‘Mama, can you hear me?’

Korean figure skater Choi Da-bin participated in ladies single skating short program on Wednesday at Gangneung Ice Arena and earned a total score of 67.77, a season’s best, securing a ticket to Friday’s free skating.In a performance of two minutes and 40 seconds, Choi skated to “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” from 1983 movie “Yentl.” Started with a clean triple lutz and triple toe loop combination, Choi successfully continued with change foot combination spin and flying camel spin. After finishing with

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] ‘Iron Man’ Yun Sung-bin aims another gold in World Championships

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- For Yun Sung-bin, his gold medal in the skeleton at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics is not the end of the story. The 23-year-old South Korean slider said he can show more after the Olympics, aiming to take another gold in the World Championships scheduled to be held next year in Doha, Qatar, as a “top priority.” “My previous goal was to win the race in the Olympics, and now I’ve done it,” said Yun, who became the first athlete from Asia to ever win a medal i

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Olympic torch relay for Paralympics to kick off

The torch for the 2018 Paralympics will be ignited simultaneously in five areas of Korea on March 2 and carried to PyeongChang in a relay run ending on the opening day of the events on March 9, where they will be unified.The five torches are to be lit at Saebyeol Oreum on Jeju Island, Anyang in Gyeonggi Province, Nonsan in South Chungcheong Province, Gochang in North Jeolla Province and Cheongdo in North Gyeongsang Province. The day is set as the auspicious day of the first full moon, the 15th d

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea's figure skater Choi Da-bin places 8th in short program

Korea's teenage figure skating star Choi Da-bin on Wednesday performed a flawless short program to pull off a personal high and rank eighth at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics ladies' singles figure skating.She scored 67.77 points on the first day of the ladies' competition at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, breaking her 10 day-old best of 65.73 set at the team event of the PyeongChang Olympics on Feb. 11.Her eighth place in the short program is the highest ranking ever achieved by a Korean

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korean 4-man bobsleigh team aims for podium finish

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea's four-man bobsleigh team said Wednesday it will aim to collect a medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The team comprised of Won Yun-jong, Seo Young-woo, Kim Dong-hyun and Jun Jung-lin completed their first two official training sessions at Olympic Sliding Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. The South Koreans finished 14th among 29 teams in their first training run with a time of 49.78 seconds but later marked the fourth best time at 49.53.Wo

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] N. Korea ends PyeongChang 2018 without medal

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- North Korea has ended its ninth Winter Olympics appearance here in South Korea without a medal.Short track speed skater Jong Kwang-bom crashed out of heats in the men's 500 meters on Tuesday as the final athlete among 22 from the North to compete during the PyeongChang Winter Games.North Korea sent 12 women's ice hockey players to form a unified team with 23 South Koreans. It had two athletes each in figure skating and short track, and three apiece in alpine skiing an

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korean skeleton slider felt sorry for Latvian great after winning gold

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- South Korean skeleton slider Yun Sung-bin said Wednesday when he won his historic gold medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic last week, he felt sorry for his idol Martins Dukurs, who failed to stand on the podium after finishing fourth.Yun became the first Asian to win a medal in sledding sports at the Winter Olympics after claiming gold in the men's skeleton last Friday. At Olympic Sliding Center, he was the fastest one to cross the finish line in all four heats, w

Olympic GamesFeb. 21, 2018