GANGNEUNG, SOUTHERLY KOREA - Forget Lindsey Vonn and Adam Rippon. The real rock celebrities on the Pyeongchang Olympics are usually a respectful group regarding Korean curlers which have got no idea they’ve come to be a world-wide discomfort.

That they are known as the particular “Garlic Girls, ” the South Korean women’s styling crew with the fairy story story whoever name shows the nearby well known garlic herb grown within their hometown. By no means considered a new medal pelear coming into Pyeongchang, they have risen to Zero. you in the search rankings, earning around the world attention to get their fierce skill and even funny personalities.

And yet the Garlic cloves Girls happen to be practically totally sheltered from your foreign frenzy both by means of private choice — these people changed off their phones during the games to block outdoor interest — and by simply a protecting coach who else is acutely aware that being different is as much some sort of mind game as a new bodily one.
South Korea's The reality star Seonyeong, left, sweeps glaciers with a teammate during their complement in opposition to Russian athletes on the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 21 years of age, 2018.
? Famous and they have a tendency know it

After a new current match, the women were instantly shuffled former waiting reporters, giving correspondents apologetic delight and greetings of “Anyonghaseyo! ” (hello) before disappearing. None associated with them, says coach The reality star Min-jung, are conscious of which they’ve become superstars.

“I’m sorry that My spouse and i cannot bring the athletes right now, due to the fact I’m worried presently there will be a lot of force and burden with them, ” Kim said. “Even the particular crowd is too serious about them. ”

That attention is understandable. The Garlic oil Girls seem tailor-made with regard to stardom.

The hugely qualified underdogs came into the particular Olympics ranked eighth inside of the world and even gone on to crush styling heavyweights including Nova scotia plus Sweden. They are lovely and even comical, mentioning to be able to them selves by quirky nicknames such as “Pancake” and “Steak. ”

Two teammates will be siblings and all are generally longtime friends, creating remarkable chemistry on the ice. The particular team’s “skip, ” or maybe captain, has a steely look and funky, owl-eyed glasses that have turn into hitch for endless Online memes.

Screaming fans

Many Koreans who have never seen a curling match own traveled to remote Gangneung to help peek at their very own nation’s new darlings throughout person.

“I’m very very pleased of them, ” mentioned Lee Ji Sun, a good 26-year-old who had by no means been inside a straightening industry before Wednesday’s complement. “They are showing we all can excel even inside new sport activities. ”

Every match presenting the particular team is packed having screaming, flag-fluttering Koreans who jump to their foot to delight on often the women’s stunningly precise shots. One fan in the market Wednesday waved what made an appearance to be a hand-drawn symbol of skip The reality star Eun-jung with her figure spectacles.
Southerly Korea's can certainly curling group celebrate following beating Ukrainian athletes through their match at the 2018 Winter Olympics around Gangneung, South Korea, February. 21 years old, 2018.
? Late to the sport of curling

That curling has gained virtually any visibility in Korea can be unexpected in itself. Korea didn’t even have a workforce in Olympic curling right until the 2014 Sochi Game titles.

It took Koreans a long time to wake up in order to curling, largely because typically the land lacked sufficient facilities until recent years, Ellie Young, the curling legend who started this Korean Curling Club 23 years ago, stated by email. Presently, he or she says, Korea has six dedicated curling circles, and plenty of schools have curling teams.

In 2006, South Korea’s earliest curling center seemed to be built in the rural village of Uiseong. Four involving the five business friends went to Uiseong Women’s High school graduation, in which they were on the particular school’s curling team. Uiseong’s reputation as the nation’s default curling capital slowly but surely grew, along with the curling middle has managed about eighteen major national and international curling events.


컬링 and even those nicknames

However, until the women’s team began their surprise winning talent in Pyeongchang, Uiseong was initially better known for its respected garlic cloves production.

Koreans think of garlic a well being food items that boosts stamina levels. Web optimization Eun Ha, the 26-year-old Garlic Girls enthusiast, feels garlic may have got contributed to typically the team’s success. (She in addition credit the women’s very good team-work and tough human relationships. )

Like quite a few supporters on Gangneung, Seo is particularly hintergrund of the curlers’ uncommon nicknames: Sunny, Steak, Pancake, Annie (a brand involving yogurt) and ChoCho (a style of cookie).

“I consider their nicknames go in reality with their vibrant images, ” Seo said. “I like ‘Steak’ probably the most. The idea sounds so funny in addition to unique. ”

The nicknames started as the gag over breakfast one day time, explained Kim, the coach. The women were talking about how tough it has been for various other countries’ sports athletes to pronounce their very own titles at international competitive events. Just about all five team members and the coach also share the exact same surname — Kim, which is very common in Korea — making their labels far more confounding for and also the.

The reality star Seon-yeong, who has been eating a new sunny-side-up toast egg, joked that the woman could go by the label “Sunny. ” The other ladies loved the idea. Both opted to nickname their selves after the English terms with regard to their favorite breakfast meals, figuring that would be easier for others to know.

Even though the women’s staff is getting the most consideration, Korean language fans include been recently heading wild with regard to the men, too. Soon after Wednesday’s men’s match, a good person from the Korean team began throwing T-shirts into the crowd, which usually increased forward with outstretched biceps.

Kim Heae Darm, a new fan who hopped upwards and managed to be able to snag a good shirt wind-surfing overhead, constrained it for you to her face together with cried with glee. The lady after that turned to capturing often the awareness of Korean varying doubles player Lee Ki-jeong, that scrawled his autograph in her notebook.

Because she struggled to find her breath, she explained her excitement by writing that Lee was tough, athletic and “very handsome. ”

As for typically the success from the women’s team, Kim, the particular founder involving the curling golf club, could not be prouder. “They are heroes! ” he / she claimed.

Yet the Garlic Ladies do have one ask for: It could be someone could are provided up with a more relaxing team name for them?

“We would prefer the particular name ‘Team Ellie, ’” Kim, the coach, said with a laugh. “Because although our hometown is definitely Uiseong — which is usually in connection with garlic — we all have simply no connection together with garlic by any means. ”