Would not Call Them ‘Garlic Girls’: South Korean Curlers Turn out to be Olympic Rock Stars
GANGNEUNG, STH KOREA - Forget Lindsey Vonn and Adam Rippon. The real rock superstars with the Pyeongchang Olympics will be a very humble group associated with Korean curlers which possess no idea they’ve turn into a international sensation.
Many people are known as typically the “Garlic Girls, ” the particular Southern region Korean women’s straightening group with the fairy-tale story in whose name reflects the nearby famed garlic grown inside their hometown. Certainly not considered a medal pelear coming into Pyeongchang, that they have risen to No. a single in the rankings, earning globally attention with regard to their fierce natural talent and even funny individuality.
And yet this Garlic cloves Girls have already been practically totally sheltered from intercontinental frenzy both by particular choice — these people switched off their phones in the games to block outside consideration — and by simply a protecting coach who is acutely which curling is as much the mind game as a good bodily one.
South Korea's .k Seonyeong, left, sweeps snow with a teammate during their fit against Russian athletes in the 2018 Winter Olympics throughout Gangneung, South Korea, February. 21 years of age, 2018.
? Famous and they also have a tendency know it
After a good modern match, the ladies were swiftly shuffled prior waiting reporters, giving journalists apologetic happiness and hello of “Anyonghaseyo! ” (hello) before vanishing. None regarding them, says coach Betty Min-jung, are aware of which they’ve become superstars.
“I’m sorry that My spouse and i could not bring the athletes right now, due to the fact I’m worried right now there will be a lot of stress and burden on them, ” Kim said. “Even the crowd is too interested in them. ”
That fascination is understandable. The Garlic herb Girls seem tailor-made to get stardom.
The extremely qualified underdogs came into the particular Olympics ranked eighth inside of the world together with travelled on to crush curling heavyweights including North america together with Sweden. They are cute and comical, mentioning to be able to by themselves by quirky nicknames including “Pancake” and “Steak. ”
Two teammates happen to be sisters and all are longtime friends, creating amazing chemistry around the ice. Typically the team’s “skip, ” as well as captain, has a steely look and funky, owl-eyed glasses that have turn into fodder for endless Internet memes.
Screaming fans
Quite a few Koreans who have never viewed a curling match have traveled to remote Gangneung to peek at his or her nation’s new darlings within person.
“I’m very happy of them, ” explained Lee Ji Sunrays, a 26-year-old who had never been inside a styling world before Wednesday’s complement. “They are showing many of us can flourish even found in new sport events. ”
Every match showcasing the team is packed using screaming, flag-fluttering Koreans who step to their toes to brighten on the particular women’s stunningly specific shots. One fan inside the crowd Wednesday waved precisely what appeared to be a hand-drawn family portrait of skip The reality star Eun-jung with her hallmark spectacles.
Sth Korea's women's curling staff celebrate right after beating Ukrainian athletes throughout their match at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 21 years old, 2018.
? Late towards the sport of curling
That being different has gained just about any importance in Korea is usually astonishing in itself. Korea did not even have a staff inside Olympic curling till the 2014 Sochi Video games.
It took Koreans a long time to wake up to curling, largely because often the region lacked sufficient amenities until recent years, The reality star Young, the curling star who started the Korean Curling Club in 1988, said by email. Right now, he says, Korea has six to eight dedicated curling domains, and a lot of schools have curling squads.
In 2006, South Korea’s first of all curling center was initially inbuilt the rural community of Uiseong. 컬링 associated with the five business friends attended Uiseong Women’s School, exactly where they were on the particular school’s curling team. Uiseong’s popularity as the nation’s default being different capital little by little grew, as well as the curling facility has located about fifteen major local and intercontinental curling situations.
Garlic plus those nicknames
Nonetheless, till the women’s team commenced their surprise winning streak in Pyeongchang, Uiseong was better known for its prolific garlic production.
Koreans think about garlic oil a overall health meals that boosts endurance. Search engine optimisation Eun Ha, the 26-year-old Garlic herb Girls admirer, believes garlic may need contributed to typically the team’s success. (She furthermore credits the women’s very good teamwork and tough relationships. )
Like several lovers at Gangneung, Seo is specially loving of the curlers’ unusual nicknames: Sunny, Steak, Pancake, Annie (a brand involving yogurt) and ChoCho (a sort of cookie).
“I imagine their nicknames go good with their exciting images, ” Seo explained. “I like ‘Steak’ one of the most. It sounds so funny plus unique. ”
The nicknames started as some sort of fun over breakfast one day time, explained Kim, the discipline. The ladies had been talking regarding how hard it has been for different countries’ players to pronounce their particular labels at international competitions. All five team members and the coach also share a similar surname — Kim, which can be very common in Korea — making their companies more confounding for foreign people.
.k Seon-yeong, who had been eating a sunny-side-up fried egg, joked that your woman could pass the brand “Sunny. ” Other ladies loved the idea. They each opted to nickname their selves after the English thoughts for his or her favorite breakfast food items, figuring that would possibly be easier for others to grasp.
Nevertheless the women’s team is getting the almost all interest, Korean fans have recently been proceeding wild intended for the men, also. Following Wednesday’s men’s match, the person from the Korean team began throwing Tees into the crowd, which usually increased forward with outstretched biceps.
Kim Heae Darm, a new fan who leaped up and managed to be able to snag the shirt marining overhead, forced it to her face and even cried with glee. She after that turned to capturing the particular consideration of Korean combined doubles player Lee Ki-jeong, that scrawled his autograph in her notebook.
Like she struggled to hook her breath, she revealed her excitement by observing that Lee was strong, casual and “very good-looking. ”
As for the particular achievement of the women’s team, Kim, this founder regarding the curling pub, could not be prouder. “They will be heroes! ” he or she said.
Yet the Garlic Females do have one demand: Could be someone could are provided up with a greater team name for these people?
“We would prefer typically the name ‘Team Kim, ’” Kim, the mentor, stated with a laugh. “Because although our hometown can be Uiseong — which is relevant to garlic — all of us have not any partnership having garlic in any way. ”