In this Feb. 10, 2018, file photo, IOC president Thomas Bach, second from left, and Kim Yo Jong, right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, talks with players after the preliminary round of the women s hockey game between Switzerland and the combined Koreas at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File).
North Korea became the first country to drop out of the Tokyo Olympics because of coronavirus fears, a decision that underscores the challenges facing Japan as it struggles to stage a global sporting event amid a raging pandemic.
A website run by North Korea’s Sports Ministry said its national Olympic Committee during a meeting on March 25 decided not to participate in the Games to protect athletes from the “world public health crisis caused by COVID-19.”
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FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2018, file photo, IOC president Thomas Bach, second from left, and Kim Yo Jong, right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, talks with players after the preliminary round of the women s hockey game between Switzerland and the combined Koreas at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. North Korea has decided not to participate in this yearâs Olympic Games in Tokyo as it continues a self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. A website run by the North s Sports Ministry said the decision was made during a national Olympic Committee meeting on March 25, 2021 where members prioritized protecting athletes from the âworld public health crisis caused by COVID-19.â (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Photo: Associated Press
FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2018, file photo, IOC president Thomas Bach, second from left, and Kim Yo Jong, right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, talks with players after the preliminary round of the women s hockey game between Switzerland and the combined Koreas at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. North Korea has decided not to participate in this yearâs Olympic Games in Tokyo as it continues a self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. A website run by the North s Sports Ministry said the decision was made during a national Olympic Committee meeting on March 25, 2021 where members prioritized protecting athletes from the âworld public health crisis caused by COVID-19.â (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) Photo: Associated Press
Wednesday, 7 April 2021
North Korea’s decision not to compete at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will have a bigger effect in weightlifting than in any other sport, judged by past performance and the current qualifying rankings.
Weightlifting is by some distance North Korea’s strongest sport at the Olympic Games.
In the past three Games in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro, North Korean weightlifters have won five gold medals, four silvers and a bronze - one of the best records in the world.
In the current Olympic rankings North Korea features prominently in six of women’s categories and three men’s.