[PyeongChang 2018] Korea brushes past Japan to make women's curling final

South Korea’s “Garlic Girls” secured a much-anticipated semifinal victory in the women’s curling at the PyeongChang Olympics on Friday, guaranteeing them at least a silver medal.The four-member team, whose nickname reflects the produce their hometown is famous for, beat Japan 8-7 at the Gangneung Curling Center.The victory came after the team led by skip Kim Eun-jung had defeated higher-ranked teams, including favorites Canada and Sweden, becoming the first to qualify for the semifinals.South Ko

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea nets unexpected speedskating bronze

After skating disappointment on Thursday, South Korean athletes scored a surprise success at the Gangneung Oval in the men’s speedskating Friday.South Korean skater Kim Tae-yun. YonhapKim Tae-yun secured an unexpected medal in the 1,000 meter event of the PyeongChang Olympics, with a time of 1 minute 8.22 seconds to secure bronze.The Netherlands’ Kjeld Nuis took gold with a time of 1:07.95, just 0.04 second ahead of Norway’s Harvard Lorentzen, who took silver.Two other Korean skaters competed, C

Feb. 23, 2018

[Photo News] Korean figure skaters Choi Da-bin, Kim Ha-nul at PyeongChang

Choi Da-bin finished 7th at women’s singles figure skating Friday at her first-ever appearance in the Winter Olympics at Gangneung Ice Arena.Choi received 131.49 points in the ladies’ figure skating free program. She became the first Korean to finish inside top-10 with overall 199.26 points since the two-time medalist Kim Yu-na.Choi Da-binThe 18-year-old confidently skated to the original soundtrack from “Doctor Zhivago.” Despite a minor mistake with the second triple jump during her triple lutz

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Costume director reveals details about closing ceremony at PyeongChang

Jain Song felt a strong sense of pride after showcasing her clothing line that dancers wore at the forefront of the Feb. 9 opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, attended by an audience of more than 30,000. But what the South Korean designer has prepared for the Olympics is not over yet.  Artists in costumes of the ancient Goguryeo Kingdom designed by Jain Song perform during the Feb. 9 opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Photo: PyeongChang Organizing Committe

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea's Choi Da-bin finishes 7th at ladies' singles figure skating

GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- South Korea's Choi Da-bin pulled off a nearly clean free program routine in the ladies' singles to make the top 10 at her Olympic debut on Friday, with the PyeongChang Games' figure skating events ending in style.In the ladies' figure skating free program held at Gangneung Ice Arena, the 18-year old received 131.49 points and finished seventh with 199.26 points overall. Both scores are new personal highs, beating the marks set at the World Championships last year.Choi b

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Russians get 1st gold thanks to 15-year-old Zagitova

GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- The Russians finally have a gold medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics, thanks to a 15-year-old who beat the fellow teen who inspired her to become a figure skater.Alina Zagitova won one of the games spotlight events Friday, edging her friend and training partner 18-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva. That ended the gold drought for the Olympic Athletes from Russia — the designation given to the nation’s competitors after the IOC banned the nation because of a doping scandal. Zagit

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] 1st Olympics provide huge learning experience for young short trackers

GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- Four out of five South Korean male speed skaters made their Winter Olympic debut at PyeongChang 2018 this month, and to a man, they said they couldn't have asked for a better learning experience.And they mostly learned their lessons the hard way.Lim Hyo-jun, 21, was the only South Korean man to win gold here, as he took the 1,500-meter title. He added a bronze in the 500m too. But in the 5,000m relay, Lim slipped and fell midway through the 45-lap race when South Korea

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Short track coach learns to accept results despite disappointments

GANGNEUNG -- Korean short track head coach Kim Sun-tae said Friday he has learned to accept the outcomes of his athletes' races despite some disappointments at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Kim led the Korean men's and women's skaters to three gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The six medals were the most among all participating countries, as Korea solidified its standing as the world's premier short track powerhouse. Korea leads the all-time Olympic rankings with 24 gold medals and 48 m

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Coca-Cola pays tribute to Korean female Olympians

As a multinational beverage corporation, Coca-Cola has gone beyond expectations once again. For years, the company has collaborated with a variety of designers to generate creative, fun products. Now working with Korean artist Kim Hyun-jung, the company has launched an ad campaign of Olympics-inspired art depicting female Korean athletes in traditional hanbok dresses.  (Coca-Cola Facebook)As a tribute to the Olympians, the paintings showcase curling, speedskating and bobsled. Fans can take part

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea aims for 2 golds in final speed skating events

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea will try to add two gold medals in final speed skating events at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Saturday.Lee Seung-hoon and Kim Bo-reum are scheduled to compete in semifinals of the men's and women's mass start speed skating events, respectively, at Gangneung Oval. The finals will also take place later that day. Korean skater Lee Seung-hoon (Yonhap)In mass start events, athletes compete in a 16-lap, free-for-all race around a 400m track with no de

Feb. 23, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Short track calamities cost Korea

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea had golden expectations going into Thursday evening’s short track speedskating events, but fell short despite earning two medals. The host country won silver and bronze medals in the men’s 500-meter Olympic final in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. China’s Wu Dajing, who had already set a world record in the heats the same evening, broke it again with a 39.584-second time to take gold, China’s first short track medal in this Olympics and its first gold of t

Feb. 22, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea finishes 4th in men's 5,000m short track relay

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea finished fourth in the men's 5,000-meter relay in short track speed skating at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Thursday.Korean short track speedskater Lim Hyo-jun lost his balance and fell without contact in the race of the men’s 5,000 meters at the Pyeongchang Olympics. (Yonhap)Lim Hyo-jun lost his balance and fell without contact during Lap 22 of the 45-lap race at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung while South Korea was in the lead in the four-team

Feb. 22, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea's Choi Min-jeong finishes fourth in women's 1,000m short track

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea's Choi Min-jeong finished fourth in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics women's 1,000 meter short track speed skating on Thursday, after a collision with her teammate, Shim Suk-hee.In the event's final at the Gangneung Ice Arena, Choi crossed the finish line after the Netherlands' Suzanne Schulting, Canada's Kim Boutin and Italy's Arianna Fontana. Shim was disqualified for a penalty.Korean short track speedskaters, Shim Suk-hee (right) and Choi Min-jeong, b

Feb. 22, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea's Hwang Dae-heon wins silver, Lim Hyo-jun wins bronze in men's 500m short track

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korean short tracker Hwang Dae-heon took silver and teammate Lim Hyo-jun grabbed bronze in the men's 500 meters at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Thursday.Hwang finished the 4 1/2-lap race in 39.854 seconds at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, with Wu Dajing of China winning the gold with a world record time of 39.584. Lim took third place in 39.919 seconds. Short track speedskaters, China's Wu Dajing (from right), Korea's Hwang Dae-heon, Lim Hyo-jun and

Feb. 22, 2018

[Herald Interview] The man behind Soohorang the white tiger

Athletes competing in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games are presented with a stuffed tiger when they step onto the podium. This peculiar scene often leaves many viewers wondering “Who made it?” Lee Hee-gon, chief marketing officer of mass C&G, explains PyeongChang Olympic mascots Soohorang and Bandabi. Park Hyun-koo/The Korea HeraldThe name of the non-athlete star and mascot of the Olympics is “Soohorang,” a combined word of “Sooho,” which means protection in Korean and “-rang,” the middle lette

Feb. 22, 2018

[Newsmaker] What’s trending: Dog meat, racism and Sewol-disaster

The PyeongChang Games is almost over, and this week it certainly hasn’t been just about the sports. Debates on South Koreans’ practice of consuming dog meat, the country’s 2014 tragic Sewol ferry disaster, racism and an unfortunate injury involving Dutch skaters have made headlines at PyeongChang.　　Here is what’s behind the ongoing issues, including those involved and why they are being talked about.　　　Dutch skater under fire over ‘dog meat’ remarks A Dutch skater’s public remarks on South Korea

Feb. 22, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korean ice dancers start raising funds for Beijing Olympics

GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- South Korea's sole ice dance team of Min Yu-ra and Alexander Gamelin has started an online fundraising campaign to prepare for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.Min, who was born in the United States to South Korean parents, and Gamelin, who was naturalized as a South Korean last year, competed in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics figure skating ice dance event and finished 18th in Tuesday's free dance. Their free dance received enthusiastic applause from the South Korean aud

Feb. 22, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Hidden faces: coaches behind Korea’s Olympics success

At the PyeongChang Games, South Korea’s athletes have defended their Olympic titles in speed skating and formed the first-ever joint Olympic team in women’s ice hockey with North Korean athletes, among other feats.　While the biggest stars of the Olympics are the athletes themselves and their records, they did not get there on their own. Behind the glory of the Olympic champions are dedicated coaches who have been guiding the athletes in the trenches.　Among them, South Korea owes its success to t

Feb. 22, 2018

[Photo News] Olympic medalists hoist national flags

Sports and patriotism often go hand in hand, especially at international events like the Olympics, where athletes represent their countries.So it’s probably only natural for Olympic medalists to flaunt their national flags on the podium.On Thursday, three days before the 17-day Winter Games come to a close, medalists for the women’s snowboard big air final and men‘s ski halfpipe were seen celebrating their wins with ecstatic smiles, among family and fellow winners, with giant flags becoming cape

Feb. 22, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea ranks 27th in men's alpine skiing slalom run

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- South Korean skier Jung Dong-hyun finished 27th in the men's alpine skiing slalom run event on Thursday at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Jung clocked in at a combined time of 1 minute and 45.07 seconds after two runs to rank 27th at the event held at Yongpyong Alpine Centre in PyeongChang.Andre Myhrer of Sweden clinched the gold medal with a time of 1:38:99 and Swiss skier Ramon Zenhaeusern took home the silver with 1:39:33. Michael Matt of Austria won bronze,

Feb. 22, 2018