2024-08-01 12:09:37
Kim Mi-rae: “I regret not winning a medal 4 years ago… I’m happy to have won a silver medal”
Jinmi Cho, First Olympic Appearance: “Even though I came in 2nd, I’m Very Happy”
Kim Mi-rae (23) and Jo Jin-mi (20), who won silver medals in the women’s synchronized 10m platform diving event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, remained silent when asked questions by Korean reporters in the mixed zone.
He answered questions from Korean reporters only at the official press conference.
North Korea’s Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi earned a combined score of 315.90 points from their first to fifth runs in the women’s synchronized 10m platform diving competition held at the Paris Aquatics Center in France on the 31st (Korean time), taking second place after China’s Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongcan, who earned 359.10 points.
The pair gave North Korea its second medal at this tournament. The silver medal won by Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong in the table tennis mixed doubles on the 30th was North Korea’s first medal at this tournament.
This is the first time North Korea has won a diving medal at the Olympics.
After the medal ceremony, Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi entered the mixed zone accompanied by a female interpreter and a female official. The two were interviewed by an official from the Olympic Information Service (OIS) before moving on.
Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi, who did not respond to calls from Korean reporters, responded to requests for interviews from foreign correspondents.
When a foreign correspondent asked how they felt about winning the medals, Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi seemed embarrassed and could not answer. Then a female interpreter said, “Speak positively. There is nothing to worry about.” “Just say that you are happy. Speak comfortably.”
Most of the interviews with foreign reporters in the mixed zone were answered by interpreters. Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi mostly just nodded.
When asked, “How is it that you were unable to participate in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but are now participating?” a female interpreter answered, “It’s because of COVID-19, so I have no regrets.”
Kim Mi-rae opened her mouth directly when asked, “What was it like competing with China?” She said, “We didn’t compete with China. We tried to win by competing with ourselves, but our results didn’t go well. We’re still weak. We’ll do a little better.”
Also, when asked, “How is life in the athletes’ village?” he answered briefly, “It’s good,” and smiled shyly.
After the foreign correspondent finished his interview, a Korean reporter asked, “This is North Korea’s first medal in an Olympic diving event, so I’d like to hear your thoughts,” but Kim Mi-rae, Jo Jin-mi, and the interpreter kept their mouths shut and tried to leave the mixed zone.
I asked questions through a foreign correspondent who interviewed the two, but the interpreter only gave short answers.
When Korean reporters showed up at the mixed zone that day, the mixed zone manager asked, “Are you from North Korea or South Korea?” The manager also asked, “Are there any restrictions on conducting interviews?”
An OIS official also asked, “Is there any policy for interviewing North Korean athletes?”
Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi, who remained silent when asked questions by Korean reporters in the mixed zone, did not avoid answering questions at the official press conference.
At the press conference, the interpreter who accompanied them to the mixed zone was sitting among the reporters. Whenever a question was asked of them, Kim Mi-rae and Jo Jin-mi looked at the interpreter as if asking permission before continuing to answer.
When a Chinese reporter asked her how she felt about winning the first ever medal in a diving event, Kim Mi-rae said, “This is the first Olympic medal in history. So, it’s a very happy thing for us,” and added, “I tried hard to get first place, but it didn’t go well. I will work harder and get good results in the future.”
Kim Mi-rae also competed in the same event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. At the time, she came in fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal.
In response to questions from Korean reporters about this, Kim Mi-rae said, “I was really disappointed when I didn’t get a medal. I tried harder than anyone else, but I couldn’t get a medal because my last move wasn’t right.”
He continued, “Even in our home country, we train hard in the morning and afternoon. We sweat more and work harder than others.”
Kim Mi-rae said, “I’m happy to have won a silver medal, although it’s not a gold medal today. Thank you,” and smiled brightly.
Cho Jin-mi, who is competing in her first Olympics, said in response to a question from Korean reporters asking her how she felt, “Although I came in second and won a silver medal in my first time competing, I am very happy,” and emphasized, “I will not let my guard down and will work even harder to win the gold medal.”
[파리=뉴시스]
2024-08-01 12:09:37