GANGNEUNG, SOUTHWEST KOREA - Forget Lindsey Vonn and Adam Rippon. The real rock personalities in the Pyeongchang Olympics are a simple group involving Korean curlers who also have got no idea they’ve grow to be a world-wide discomfort.

Many people are known as often the “Garlic Girls, ” the Southerly Korean women’s straightening staff with the fairy-tale story whoever moniker demonstrates the regionally famous garlic clove grown inside their hometown. Never ever considered some sort of medal combatir coming into Pyeongchang, these people have risen to Virtually no. you in the ratings, earning around the world attention with regard to their fierce ability and even funny personalities.

Nevertheless this Garlic clove Girls have already been nearly totally sheltered in the foreign frenzy both simply by private choice — these people switched off their phones over the games to block exterior awareness — and by simply a shielding coach who is keenly aware that curling is as much a good psychological game as a physical one.
South Korea's .k Seonyeong, left, sweeps ice with a teammate during their go with towards Russian athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics inside Gangneung, South Korea, February. 21, 2018.
? Famous and they also may know it

After a recent match, the ladies were instantly shuffled history waiting reporters, giving political press apologetic smiles and hi of “Anyonghaseyo! ” (hello) before disappearing. None connected with them, says coach The reality star Min-jung, are knowledgeable that they’ve become megastars.


“I’m sorry that I wasn't able to bring the athletes today, due to the fact I’m worried there will be excessive stress and burden about them, ” Kim said. “Even typically the crowd is too considering them. ”

That desire is understandable. The Garlic Girls seem tailor-made for stardom.

The wildly experienced underdogs came into this Olympics ranked eighth inside of the world and travelled on to crush styling heavyweights including Canada plus Sweden. They are lovely and even comical, mentioning in order to themselves by quirky nicknames including “Pancake” and “Steak. ”

Two teammates usually are sisters and all are usually longtime good friends, creating irresistible chemistry within the ice. The team’s “skip, ” or perhaps captain, possesses a steely look and cool, owl-eyed drinking glasses that have become hitch for endless World wide web memes.

Screaming fans

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

“I’m very happy of them, ” said Lee Ji Sunlight, the 26-year-old who had certainly not been inside a straightening arena before Wednesday’s complement. “They are showing most of us can succeed even inside new sport activities. ”

Every match presenting typically the team is packed using screaming, flag-fluttering Koreans who jump to their legs to cheer on often the women’s stunningly specific images. One fan within the masses Wednesday waved exactly what came out to be a hand-drawn picture of skip Kim Eun-jung with her signiture move spectacles.
Southerly Korea's might curling workforce celebrate subsequent to beating Ukrainian athletes throughout their match in the 2018 Winter Olympics within Gangneung, South Korea, February. twenty-one, 2018.
? Late on the sport of curling

The fact that being different has gained any kind of dominance in Korea is definitely astonishing in itself. Korea didn’t even have a crew inside Olympic curling till the 2014 Sochi Online games.

It took Koreans some time to wake up in order to curling, largely because the region lacked sufficient features right until recent years, Ellie Young, a curling tale who started the Korean language Curling Club in 1988, said by email. Today, he or she says, Korea has six dedicated curling domains, and several schools have curling teams.

In 2006, South Korea’s initially curling center had been inbuilt the rural community of Uiseong. Four connected with the five team members joined in Uiseong Women’s High School, where they were on the particular school’s curling team. Uiseong’s reputation as the nation’s default being different capital slowly and gradually grew, as well as the curling centre has located about twelve major national and global curling functions.

Garlic in addition to those nicknames

However, until the women’s team started their surprise winning skills in Pyeongchang, Uiseong was better known for their prolific garlic oil production.

Koreans think about garlic cloves a health and fitness foodstuff that boosts vigor. Search engine optimisation Eun Ha, some sort of 26-year-old Garlic Girls supporter, states garlic oil may now have contributed to typically the team’s success. (She furthermore credit the women’s great team-work and tough relationships. )

Like a lot of lovers at Gangneung, Seo is specially attached to of the curlers’ uncommon nicknames: Sunny, Steak, Pancake, Annie (a brand of yogurt) and ChoCho (a kind of cookie).

“I consider their nicknames go in reality with their lively photographs, ” Seo mentioned. “I like ‘Steak’ the best. The idea sounds so funny plus unique. ”

The nicknames started as the fun over breakfast one moment, mentioned Kim, the discipline. The women have been talking regarding how complicated it was basically for other countries’ runners to pronounce their very own brands at international competitions. Most five team members and the coach also share the exact same surname — Kim, and that is very common in Korea — making their titles much more confounding for visitors.

.k Seon-yeong, who seemed to be eating a good sunny-side-up toast egg, joked that the lady could pass the name “Sunny. ” The other females loved the idea. They each opted to nickname themselves after the English phrases for his or her favorite breakfast foodstuff, foreseeing that would end up being easier for others to grasp.

Even though the women’s group is getting the nearly all consideration, Korean language fans have got been intending wild with regard to the men, way too. Immediately after Wednesday’s men’s match, some sort of player from the Korean team began throwing Tee shirts into the crowd, which often increased forward with outstretched hands.

Kim Heae Darm, the fan who leaped up and managed to be able to snag a good shirt marining overhead, constrained it in order to her face plus cried with glee. Your woman next turned to capturing the consideration of Korean mixed doubles player Lee Ki-jeong, that scrawled his autograph in her notebook.

While she struggled to hook her breath, she described her excitement by observing that Lee was robust, specific sport and “very good looking. ”

As for the particular achievement from the women’s staff, Kim, the founder involving the curling golf club, could not be prouder. “They happen to be heroes! ” they stated.

Yet 컬링 do have one ask for: It could be someone could are available up with a more relaxing team name for all of them?

“We would prefer this name ‘Team Kim, ’” Kim, the mentor, said with a laugh. “Because although our hometown will be Uiseong — which will be in connection with garlic — we have no relationship along with garlic whatsoever. ”