By Considering South Korea has a population of roughly 50 million they did pretty good for themselves at the 2010 Winter Olympics:
Korea had an impressive medal haul at the Vancouver Olympics beginning Feb. 14, when Lee Seung-hoon won silver medal in the men’s 5,000 m speed skating and followed by Mo Tae-bum and Lee Sang-hwa sweeping gold in the men’s and women’s 500 m speed skating. Lee Jung-su then snatched two gold medals in the men’s short track speed skating, and the Korean team’s spirit culminated with Kim Yu-na’s winning gold in the women’s figure skating competition on Friday.
Having finished all competitions on Saturday, a day ahead of the closing ceremony, Korea won a total of six golds, six silvers and two bronzes, rising to fifth in the medal standings. That is an all-time high, up two notches from the no. 7 ranking in the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics. China ranked seventh with five golds, two silvers and four bronzes this year and Japan 20th with three silvers and two bronzes. Host country Canada took first place with 14 gold medals.
In the count regardless of color, Korea came seventh with 14, while the U.S. led with 37 followed by Germany (30) and Canada (26). [Chosun Ilbo]
The Koreans will probably have to start being competitive in other sports such as skiing if they hope to move up in the medal totals for the next Winter Olympics, but all in all I would have to say Korea had a very successful games.
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
10:44 am on March 1st, 2010 1
I thought they were 7th.
10:45 am on March 1st, 2010 2
My bad…didn't get to the last paragraph.
6:51 pm on March 1st, 2010 3
country population doesnt really matter all that much. A much better statistic would be of how much resources a country actually puts in to their respective programs. I am tired of hearing from Koreans "look how well we did in the Olympics despite being such a tiny country." It nonsense to think of Korea as small country when there is only about 24 or 25 countries in the world with larger populations. Anyway, thats my 2cents for the day.
7:08 pm on March 1st, 2010 4
Next up for the Koreans is the World Cup in South Africa.
10:00 pm on March 1st, 2010 5
They did well…but not 5th….they are 7th. Still very good!
10:02 pm on March 1st, 2010 6
Here's the link as of Tuesday, 2 March.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/medals
10:15 pm on March 1st, 2010 7
There is no official medal standings. You can count by how many total medals or by how many golds, then silvers, then bronzes.
Korea did better than expected. That's all.
1:44 am on March 2nd, 2010 8
I am very proud of what the Korean people have accomplice over the last 60 years.I remember those days in july 1950 as most of population move south mother with little children with a bleak future and her with every thing that she has in the world on her head.If the Korean won one or a hunderd medals they have come a long way in 60 Years. sign 40 yards
3:37 am on March 2nd, 2010 9
The same ranking system used by USA during the Pequin Olympic games, when China surpassed USA in gold medals, than USA decided to change the ranking method to put itself in first place. I though it were just games … nothing more.
It’s good to see that not only Koreans have a nationalistic view of the games.
3:52 am on March 2nd, 2010 10
This guygets
3:55 am on March 2nd, 2010 11
This guy gets a gold medal for the 1-man douche.
6:30 am on March 2nd, 2010 12
I've been seeing the gold=3, silver=2, and bronze=1 system for years and years. It's hardly nationalistic to consider this as a valid method, any more than Russia or Austria would be nationalistic just for insisting that their medal haul, even with only half the golds of South Korea and Switzerland, puts them higher up the charts.
No one's got a problem with Russia's nationalism, right?
6:37 am on March 2nd, 2010 13
If I could make just one suggestion about ROK Drop, it would be that links be highlighted somehow. I read Mechyotda's comment as saying that James W Bolt (the commenter just before him) was a 1-man douche, not the person in the link that I didn't clearly see.
And yes, the AES guy is a contemptible person, but what does he have to do with Korea's Olympic performance?
6:44 am on March 2nd, 2010 14
A smaller country means a smaller pool of potential world-class athletes as well as (potentially) fewer resources available if the government or corporations don't step up.
And compared to China (26 times larger), the US (6 times larger), Russia (nearly 3 times larger), Germany (approaching 2 times larger), and even France (nearly 1.5 times larger), South Korea is "small." It's harder to be a powerhouse in international sports with a smaller pool to work with. Harder, not impossible.
8:30 am on March 2nd, 2010 15
The best example of a country with a small population that kicks major ass in the Winter Olympics – just look at Norway. Population under 5 million (less than 1/10th of South Korea's population) and they quietly walk away with nine golds and 23 medals total.
That is very impressive.
9:45 am on March 2nd, 2010 16
I have had 81 years to become a douche bag what is your excuse.Stick and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt ME LOL
9:49 am on March 2nd, 2010 17
Dr. Yu, the US and many countries have used the same system for every olympics I can remember for the past 40 or so years. (Probably longer) Placing blame on the US for "changing the system" during the last one is horse hockey
Personally I think overall medal count is the best system. This all or nothing, silver and bronze medals are for losers attitude fosters bad sportsmanship. It is correct to honor at least the top three athletes in any given sport.
10:02 am on March 2nd, 2010 18
Eighty-one years old and still failed at becoming a douche? What a loser!
Sir, in all seriousness, I would never disrespect an octogenarian by calling him a douche. Not to his face and not behind his back.
1:53 pm on March 2nd, 2010 19
Actually, Capt. America is right. You can have the largest population in the world, if the money isn't there nobody will be interested in taking that career path. Just look at India, Pakistan, and Indonesia. They have the pool of athletes you speak of, and yet they aren't Olympic powerhouses. Bottom line is, funding is the key. Why are Canada's top athletes hockey players? Because that's were most of the money goes in Canada.
1:56 pm on March 2nd, 2010 20
Actually, Capt. America is only half right. With money and resources poured into it, à la China, India could become a powerhouse (though not as likely in the winter games).
But could Nepal or Bhutan become a powerhouse, even with the same per capita resources? Even with double or triple or quadruple? Not likely because of too small a pool for superb athletes.
3:03 pm on March 2nd, 2010 21
I prefer the point system for medal rankings. A gold means that you were the best in your game. Why should it be equal to a silver, which means that although you tried, you were not the winner?
8:04 pm on March 2nd, 2010 22
Agreed 707,
I just get ticked off by the "there are gold medals and the rest are losers" crowd. I saw a lot of these toads when I was competing in swimming and there is always someone up and coming, no athlete lasts forever. Some of the best races I had were ones I didn't win. Healthy competition and good sportsmanship are a dying breed.
9:52 am on March 10th, 2010 23
In Canada I know for a fact that its' not government money that funds hockey players. It is the parents that have to spend their money for ice time and equipment. None of it is subsidized and the only tax credit you get is $300 for enrolling your child in a physical activity.
The cost for ice time and equipment exceed that by a lot.
In Korea the lessons and equipment is all paid for by the parents. Kim Yuna's parents had to pinch and save so that they could afford the initial lessons.
Same with the speed skaters', it is mom and dad that pay for it.
And if they win a gold medal, the government pays those athletes $800 a month for life. I know of people who get 5 times that in England just on welfare.
So don't sit there and try and belittle the achievements of the Korean athletes'.
This is exactly what I've been saying. Anytime a Korean does well in something, or Koreans' in general do well, their accomplishments are always subjected to some type of accusations. What is with all this resentment.
It's as if Korean are successful these people are going to lose something.
10:03 am on March 10th, 2010 24
I wrote this before, but I'll repeat it.
Whenever Korea does well in something, everyone becomes resentful. I have always heard Americans', Canadians', Aussie's and Europeans' always trying to belittle Korean athletic, academic, and economic success.
Even the sports announcers commenting during the short track events, were omitting facts about the past accomplishments of Korean skaters. Google the ISU and take a look which country is actually dominant.
And please, I am not saying that speed skating is the athletic measuring stick. It is an example that Illustrates how it pains most westerner's to admit any type of Korean success.