Rio 2016: I'm not a hero, says N. Korean silver medalist

North Korean weightlifter Om Yun-chol won the silver medal with a total of 303kg Riocentro Pavilion 2 in Rio de Janeiro, delivering North Korea’s first medal at the Rio Olympic Games. / Yonhap

By Hong Dam-young

North Korean weightlifter Om Yun-chul expressed his disappointment at winning the silver on Sunday (local time) by saying, “I’m not a hero.”

It was the North’s first medal at the Rio Olympics, but he seemed to have a sense of guilt and failure.

He even remained silent when his country’s top politician tried to cheer him up. “I am not a hero in North Korea because I didn’t win the gold,” Om said.

He finished second in the men's 56kg event at Riocentro-Pavilion 2, lifting 134kg in the snatch and 169kg in the clean and jerk for a 303kg total.

China’s Long Qingquan won gold with a world record 307kg, lifting 137kg in the snatch and an Olympic record 170kg in the clean and jerk.

Among 31 North Korean athletes competing in nine sports in Rio, the spotlight has been mainly on Om, who has been unbeatable in his weight class since 2012. After winning gold in London in 2012, he won the gold at the Asian championships in 2013 and at the Asian Games in 2014.

Choe Ryong-hae, a vice chairman of the North’s State Affairs Commission, on the right, is watching the men's 56kg event at Riocentro-Pavilion 2 in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, where North Korean weightlifter Om Yun-chol won the silver medal. / Yonhap

After his failure to win gold in Rio, he faced a barrage of questions, to which, head down, he made one consistent response: “I have nothing to say because my performance says it all.” He also congratulated Long Qingquan.

Om told reporters he was not a “hero” in North Korea, because he let down North Koreans despite their support. He said nothing when asked about Choe Ryong-hae, a vice chairman of the North’s State Affairs Commission, who was on the spot to cheer Om, but left before the medal ceremony.

Om, however, will aim for gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and at the World Weightlifting Championships, where he has won three years in a row.

North Korean athletes who win gold will be invited to meet leader Kim Jong-un, and will receive special treatment, such as national medals and a title of “hero of effort,” the highest honor North Korean athletes can receive.

They are also given luxury apartments and foreign cars.