To the sound of an instrumental version of The Beatles' "A Day in the Life" — and the coordinated chanting of North Korea's tightly
To the sound of an instrumental version of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” — and the coordinated chanting of North Korea’s tightly controlled cheering squad — figure skaters Ryom Tae Ok, 19, and Kim Ju Sik, 25, took to the ice Wednesday in their Olympic debut.
The athletes earned a personal best in their short program, and were well received by the crowd in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The two skaters are the only North Korean athletes to have qualified for the Olympic Games through an international competition, even before a diplomatic agreement allowed for North Korean athletes to participate. (Ryom and Kim qualified at an event in Germany this past fall, and were permitted to compete even though North Korea’s Olympic Committee missed a registration deadline .)
Their score of 69.40 initially put them in second place, with more competition to come. They ultimately earned 11th place, good enough to earn them a slot in Thursday’s long program — their real goal. Odds of a medal are approximately “zero,” the New York Times reports.
“Speaking to reporters afterward, Ryom and Kim said they were honored to compete for their country,” NPR’s Elise Hu reports from Pyeongchang.
