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SEOUL : A North Korean figure skating pair along with eight other athletes will arrive in South Korea later on Thursday by airplane, set to compete in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics that will begin next week.
The figure skating pair had been the only North Koreans to have secured a spot at the Winter Games through the conventional qualifying competition.
Despite losing their place after failing to register, they were handed one quota place by the International Olympic Committee last month.
Three alpine skiers, three cross-country skiers and two short-track skaters will accompany the pair, according to the Ministry of Unification.
The North Korean athletes, who have been also been handed quota places, will join 12 ice hockey players who arrived in South Korea last month.
North and South Korea have agreed to march under a single flag at the opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympics and field a united team in the women’s ice hockey after rare inter-Korean talks were launched in early January.
Quota places are a rarely-used form of wild card.
On the Asiana flight to South Korea’s Yangyang International Airport, the North Korean athletes will join South Koreans who are visiting the North for a two-day joint ski training program that began Wednesday at the North’s Masikryong ski resort.
According to a pool report from South Korean reporters who accompanied the athletes, the visitors from the South were given a 19-course meal on the second floor of the hotel at the ski resort.
Members of the South Korean crew supporting the athletes, as well as journalists, were given a set of padded clothes, hats, goggles and gloves, the report said.
When asked to compare the ski resort to South Korean ski facilities, athletes told reporters there that Masikryong “wasn’t largely lacking”.
source: news agency
The figure skating pair had been the only North Koreans to have secured a spot at the Winter Games through the conventional qualifying competition.
Despite losing their place after failing to register, they were handed one quota place by the International Olympic Committee last month.
Three alpine skiers, three cross-country skiers and two short-track skaters will accompany the pair, according to the Ministry of Unification.
The North Korean athletes, who have been also been handed quota places, will join 12 ice hockey players who arrived in South Korea last month.
North and South Korea have agreed to march under a single flag at the opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympics and field a united team in the women’s ice hockey after rare inter-Korean talks were launched in early January.
Quota places are a rarely-used form of wild card.
On the Asiana flight to South Korea’s Yangyang International Airport, the North Korean athletes will join South Koreans who are visiting the North for a two-day joint ski training program that began Wednesday at the North’s Masikryong ski resort.
According to a pool report from South Korean reporters who accompanied the athletes, the visitors from the South were given a 19-course meal on the second floor of the hotel at the ski resort.
Members of the South Korean crew supporting the athletes, as well as journalists, were given a set of padded clothes, hats, goggles and gloves, the report said.
When asked to compare the ski resort to South Korean ski facilities, athletes told reporters there that Masikryong “wasn’t largely lacking”.
source: news agency
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