Wikipedia

Ryom Tae-ok

In this Korean name, the family name is Ryom.

Ryom Tae-ok (born February 2, 1999) is a North Korean pair skater that currently competes with Han Kum-chol.

Ryom Tae-ok
Ryom on the podium at the 2018 Four Continents Championships.
Native name렴대옥
Other namesRyeom Dae-ok
Born (1999-02-02) February 2, 1999 (age 25)
Pyongyang, North Korea
HometownPyongyang, North Korea
Height1.51 m (4 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country North Korea
PartnerHan Kum-chol (since 2024)
Kim Ju-sik (2015–2021)
Kim Mun-song (2014)
O Chang-gon (2010–2013)
CoachKim Hyon-son
Skating clubTaesongsan SC
Began skating2008
Medal record
Representing  North Korea
Figure skating: Pairs
Four Continents Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Taipei Pairs
Asian Winter Games
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Sapporo Pairs
Ryom Tae-ok
Hangul
렴대옥
Hanja
Revised RomanizationRyeom Daeok
McCune–ReischauerRyŏm Taeok

With her former partner, Kim Ju-sik, she is the 2018 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2017 Asian Winter Games bronze medalist,[1][2] 2016 Cup of Tyrol bronze medalist, and 2016 Asian Open Trophy champion. They were the first North Korean figure skaters to win a medal at an ISU event.[3]

Personal life

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Ryom was born on February 2, 1999 in Pyongyang, North Korea. As hobbies, she enjoys listening to music, dancing, and reading.[4]

She looks up to pair teams, Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford and Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov.[5]

Career

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Early career

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Ryom began figure skating in 2008 after watching the sport on TV and wanting to try it herself.[4][6] Her first pair partner was O Chang-gon, with whom she skated with from 2010 to 2013. Together, they won the 2013 North Korean Championships.[7] She subsequently skated with Kim Mun-song for the duration of the 2013–14 figure skating season.[8]

Ryom would ultimately team up with Kim Ju-sik in 2015. The team trained in Pyongyang at the Taesongsan Skating Club and were coached by Kim Hyon-son.[9][3]

Partnership with Kim

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2015–2016 season: Debut of Ryom/Kim

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Ryom/Kim made their international debut in October 2015 at the 2015 CS Ice Challenge, where they placed fifth. The pair would later go on to place seventh at the 2016 Four Continents in Taipei, Taiwan, before ending the season with the bronze medal at the 2016 Cup of Tyrol.[3][10]

Following the season, the pair established a working relationship with Canadian figure skating choreographer, Julie Marcotte.[11]

2016–2017 season

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Ryom and Kim at the 2017 World Championships.

The pair started the season by taking gold at the 2016 Asian Open Trophy and at the 2016 Merano Cup. Additionally, they won their first national title at the 2017 North Korean Championships.[10]

In February, the pair would take the bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Winter Games. One month later, they made their World Championship debut at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, where they would finish fifteenth.[3][10]

2017–2018 season: Four Continents bronze medal and 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

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Ryom and Kim during their short program at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

During the off-season and in anticipation for the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics, Ryom/Kim, their coach, and a member of the North Korean Figure Skating Federation traveled to Montreal, Quebec, Canada from June to August to work with Canadian pair skating coach, Bruno Marcotte.[12][13] Looking back on his time training them, Marcotte remarked, “I had to make all the arrangements for them, because I mean, they don’t have a credit card. So they cannot just book a hotel. They do not have [a] driver’s licence, so I could not just find a place anywhere in Montreal... They were often all of them together, but they were not constantly watched or surveyed, no. They spoke to everybody. I mean, they got really integrated, they integrated themselves really well with all the other kids... Every time I spoke to them, they always made sure that they never wanted me to feel and confuse politics with sport. And they always wanted to make sure that I saw them as sportsmen and not as political representatives. I think they want to be pioneers."[13]

Ryom/Kim started their season by competing at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, which served as the final qualification event for the 2018 Winter Olympics. The top five pair skating teams that had not already qualified berths for the Winter Olympics at the 2017 World Championships would have a chance to earn a spot for their country. At the event, Ryom/Kim would place sixth out of the sixteen pair teams that competed and third out of the five pair teams that had yet to earn a berth for the Winter Olympics. Thus their result qualified North Korea to send a pair team to the Winter Olympics.[14]

The possibility of the team's participation at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, garnered widespread attention from media outlets due to the historical tensions between the two countries and North Korea having previously boycotted 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The country also hadn't sent any athletes to compete at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[15] Despite this, South Korean officials stated that they were organizing the event with the belief that North Korea would participate. In addition, Anita DeFrantz, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated, “We hope [North Korea competes]. I hope there’s no reason for them not to. I know we’re doing everything we can to insure that there is no barrier.”[14]

Although the Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would miss the deadline to register the team to compete at the Olympic games, it was announced in early January 2018, that the IOC extended an invitation to Ryom/Kim to compete in the Olympic pairs event as wild cards.[16][15]

Ryom/Kim went on to compete at the North Korean Championships, which they won for a second time. At the 2018 Four Continents Championships at the end of January, Ryom/Kim took the bronze medal.[3]

During the pairs event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in mid-February, a North Korean cheerleading squad attended the event to cheer for Ryom/Kim, chanting their names and waving North Korean flags.[13] Ryom/Kim managed to skate a clean short program to A Day in the Life by The Beatles and immediately became crowd favorites of the South Korean audience. They would place eleventh in that segment of the competition, thus qualifying for the free skate segment. Their short program song selection also attracted international attention due to North Korea's history of music censorship.[17] During the free skate segment, the pair once again delivered a clean program, to the crowd's delight, and Ryom shed tears of joy following the skate.[18] The pair would place twelfth in the free skate and finish the competition in thirteenth place overall. Moved by the team's performances, South Korean spectator, Lee Sae-rom said, "This may be the last time I see North Koreans compete at an Olympics in South Korea. My daughter is so young that she does not even know that the two Koreas are divided, but I hope she feels that they should be reunited through sport."[18] The team were later invited to skate in the gala exhibition.[19]

One month later, at the 2018 World Championships in Milan, Italy, the pair came in twelfth place.[3][10]

2018–2019 season

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Ryom and Kim at the 2019 Cup of China.

Ryom/Kim began the season by winning silver at the 2018 CS Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy. They went on to debut on the Grand Prix circuit, placing fifth at the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki and fourth at the 2018 Internationaux de France. They also won the third national title at the 2019 North Korean Championships.[3]

At the 2019 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Ryom/Kim finished eleventh.[3]

2019–2020 season

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Due to Kim getting plagued with injuries, Ryom/Kim only competed at two international events, 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and the 2019 Cup of China, where they finished third and fourth, respectively. The pair would also go on to win their fourth consecutive national title at the 2020 North Korean Championships.[3][5]

2020–2021 seasons: End of Ryom/Kim

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Ryom/Kim only competed at the 2021 North Korean Championships where they won their fifth national title.[3]

Their partnership would later dissolve due to Kim choosing to retire from competitive figure skating.[5]

Partnership with Han

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2024–2025 season: Debut of Ryom/Han

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In early 2024, Ryom teamed up with fellow North Korean pair skater, Han Kum-chol, with the goal of competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It was also announced that they would train in Pyongyang at the Taesongsan Skating Club under Ryom's longtime coach, Kim Hyon-son. Before the start of the season, the pair team briefly trained in Novogorsk, Russia, to receive training from pair skating coach, Valeriy Artyukhov.[4][5] Describing the season's programs, Han explained, "The free program is set to music from our native cinema. It is a movie about the destiny of the North Korean people, our country, and people. And the short program — to a composition about the fathers and mothers of our nation."[5]

Ryom/Han started the season by competing on the 2024–25 ISU Challenger Series, finishing sixth at the 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy and tenth at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.[20][21]

Programs

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With Han Kum-chol

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Season Short program Free skating
2024–2025
[4]
  • My Father and Mother's Youthful Days
    by Kim Hyok-chol
    choreo. by Kim Hyon-son
  • Flocks of Wild Geese Fly
    by Kim Hyok-chol
    choreo. by Kim Hyon-son

With Kim Ju-sik

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Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2019–2020
[22]
  • We Will Never Forget
    by Om Ha-jin
    performed by the National Symphonic Orchestra
    choreo. by Julie Marcotte
  • Fly High, Doves
    by Choe Hong Nam
    choreo. by Julie Marcotte
2018–2019
  • Je suis qu'une chanson
    by Diane Justler, performed by Ginette Reno
    choreo. by Julie Marcotte
  • Gobaek
    by Hwang Jun Yong
2017–2018
[23]
  • Bangabsumnida (Nice to Meet You)
    by Hwang Jun Yong [24]
2016–2017
[11]
2015–2016
[25]

Competitive highlights

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GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

With Han Kum-chol

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International[20]
Event 2024–25
CS Lombardia Trophy 6th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 10th
TBD = Assigned

With Kim Ju-sik

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International[3]
Event 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21
Olympics 13th
Worlds 15th 12th 11th
Four Continents 7th 3rd
GP Cup of China 5th
GP Finland 5th
GP France 4th WD
CS Ice Challenge 5th
CS Nebelhorn 6th 3rd
Asian Games 3rd
Asian Open 1st 2nd
Cup of Tyrol 3rd
National[3]
North Korean Champ. 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

With Kim Mun-song

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National[8]
Event 13–14
North Korean Champ. 3rd

With O Chang-gon

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National[7]
Event 09–10 11–12 12–13
North Korean Champ. 5th 3rd 1st

Detailed results

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With Han Kum-chol

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ISU Personal best highlighted in bold.

2024–25 season
Date Event SP FS Total
September 19–21, 2024 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 11
45.74 		9
94.90 		10
140.64
September 12–15, 2024 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy 8
49.37 		6
94.26 		6
143.63

With Kim Ju-sik

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Ryom and Kim at the exhibition gala at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. ISU Personal best highlighted in bold.

2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 8–10, 2019 2019 Cup of China 8
60.50 		4
119.05 		5
179.55
November 25–28, 2019 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 4
66.91 		5
116.61 		3
183.02
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 18–24, 2019 2019 World Championships 13
58.77 		10
116.54 		11
175.31
November 23–25, 2018 2018 Internationaux de France 2
67.18 		4
120.77 		4
187.95
November 2–4, 2018 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki 5
56.87 		4
117.37 		5
174.24
August 1–5, 2018 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy 2
60.40 		2
112.80 		2
173.20
2017–18 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 19–25, 2018 2018 World Championships 12
66.32 		12
122.45 		12
188.77
February 14–23, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics 11
69.40 		12
124.23 		13
193.63
January 22–28, 2018 2018 Four Continents Championships 4
65.25 		3
119.73 		3
184.98
September 28–30, 2017 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 5
60.09 		6
119.90 		6
180.09
August 10–13, 2017 Championnats québécois d'été 2017 2
67.38 		2
113.62 		2
181.00
2016–2017 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 27–April 2, 2017 2017 World Championships 14
64.52 		15
105.13 		15
169.65
February 19–26, 2017 2017 Asian Winter Games 3
65.22 		3
112.18 		3
177.40
August 4–7, 2016 2016 Asian Open Trophy 2
51.16 		1
92.99 		1
144.15
2015–16 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 9–13, 2016 2016 Cup of Tyrol 3
53.64 		3
106.39 		3
160.03
February 16–21, 2016 2016 Four Continents Championships 8
53.83 		7
103.41 		7
157.24
October 27–31, 2015 2015 CS Ice Challenge 5
44.16 		5
88.02 		5
132.18

References

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  1. ^ Armstrong, Jim (February 25, 2017). "North Korea wins first medal at Asian Winter Games". Yahoo Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017.
  2. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (February 27, 2017). "North Korea could qualify for PyeongChang Olympics in pairs figure skating". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Competition Results: Tae Ok RYOM / Ju Sik KIM". International Skating Union.
  4. ^ a b c d "Tae Ok RYOM / Kum Chol HAN: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e Bagriantseva, Maya. ""We are not the only pair in the country; five other pairs train with us. And there will be more. We love skating very much and hope to become world-class skaters one day." Interview with North Korean pair Tae Ok Ryom and Kum Chol Han". FS Gossips. FS Gossips. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  6. ^ 박, 기석. "북한 피겨 역사 새로 쓴 렴대옥-김주식은 누구?". Seoul Sports. Seoul Sports. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Competition Results: Tae Ok RYOM / Chang Gon O". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Competition Results: Tae Ok RYOM / Mun Song KIM". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017.
  9. ^ Lavache, Carine. "9 Things to Know About Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik, North Korea's Figure Skating Crowd Pleasers". Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "Tae-ok Ryom/Ju-sik Kim". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Tae Ok RYOM / Ju Sik KIM: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ "North Korean ice skaters trained for Olympics in Canada". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Young, Leslie. "Canadian coach helped North Korean figure skaters qualify for Winter Olympics". Global News. Global News. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b Longman, Jeré. "North Korean Figure Skaters Qualify for Olympics, Possibly Easing Tensions". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b Zaccardi, Nick. "North Korea misses Olympic figure skating deadline, but door still open". NBC Sports. NBC Sports. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  16. ^ 김, 지섭. "북한 피겨 간판 렴대옥-김주식, 와일드카드로 평창오나". Hankookilbo. Hankookilbo. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  17. ^ Domonoske, Camila. "North Korean Figure Skaters Make Olympic Debut, To Cheers". NPR. NPR. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b Jin, Hyunjoo. "North Korean pair charm the South in Games adventure". Yahoo Sport. Yahoo Sport. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Gala Exhibition - Figure Skating - PyeongChang 2018 Replays". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Competition Results: Tae Ok RYOM / Kum Chol HAN". International Skating Union.
  21. ^ "Tae-ok Ryom/Kum-chol Han". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Tae Ok RYOM / Ju Sik KIM: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. ^ "Tae Ok RYOM / Ju Sik KIM: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  24. ^ AbsoluteSkating [@absoluteskating] (February 24, 2018). "#PyeongChang2018 #FigureSkating Olympic gala timing and music selections" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Tae Ok RYOM / Ju Sik KIM: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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