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Ri Jong Sik

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Ri Jong Sik
Native name리정식
Born (2000-02-14) 14 February 2000 (age 24)
Pyongyang, North Korea
Medal record
Men's table tennis
Representing  North Korea
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris Mixed doubles
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Astana Mixed doubles

Ri Jong Sik (Korean: 리정식; born 14 February 2000) is a North Korean table tennis player. He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal in the mixed doubles tournament along with Kim Kum Yong.

Biography

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Ri was born on 14 February 2000 in Pyongyang, North Korea.[1] In 2015, he participated at the Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships.[2] He played at the DPR Korea Open in 2016, 2017, and 2018.[2] In 2019, Ri played in the China Open in June, the Pyongyang Open in July, and at the 2019 Asian Table Tennis Championships in September.[2] He reached the third round of the men's singles at the Asian championships and won three rounds of the men's doubles – partnered with Ham Yu-song – before being defeated by the Hong Kong team.[2]

Ri competed at the 2022 Asian Games, held in 2023, in four events, with top 16 appearances in three events, but did not medal.[2][3][4] In April 2024, Ri and his mixed doubles partner Kim Kum Yong qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics by defeating Spain in the ITTF World Olympic Qualification Tournament, 4–3.[5]

Ri and Kim, unranked by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) due to their limited experience in international competitions, were the last-ranked team in the Olympic mixed doubles competition and faced defending champion Japan – ranked second globally – in the opening round.[6][7] In a major upset, the North Korean pair defeated Japan by a score of 4–1.[6][8] Ri and Kim followed it up by defeating eighth-seeded Sweden and then fourth-seeded Hong Kong to reach the tournament finals against China.[7][9] They were defeated in the finals, 4–2, and thus received the silver medal, becoming the first Olympic medal-winners from North Korea in eight years.[10][11]

Following their silver medal, Ri and Kim shared a selfie on the podium with their fellow medallists, including Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin of South Korea. This was celebrated around the world as a moment of great sportsmanship, but reportedly led to criticism from the North Korean authorities, who according to The Guardian placed Ri and Kim under "ideological scrutiny" upon their return to the country.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Ri Jong Sik". Eurosport.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ri Jong Sik – results at the ITTF tournaments". TableTennis.Guide. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  3. ^ "한국 남자 탁구 단체전, '넘사벽' 중국에 고작 한 세트 따냈다…또 은메달 [오!쎈 항저우]" [The Korean men's table tennis team won only one set against China, which was 'out of the box'... Another silver medal [Oh! Strong Hangzhou]]. Nate.com (in Korean). 26 September 2023.
  4. ^ "[아시안게임] 북한, 홍콩에 져 남자탁구 단체전 16강 탈락" [[Asian Games] North Korea loses to Hong Kong, eliminated in men's table tennis team round of 16]. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 24 September 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  5. ^ Yun-seok, Ahn (13 April 2024). "북 탁구 혼성복식팀, 파리 올림픽 참가 자격 획득" [North Korea table tennis mixed doubles team qualified for Paris Olympics]. SPNews.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b Ahn, Hong-seok (28 July 2024). "[올림픽] 북한 리정식-김금용, 탁구 혼복서 우승 후보 일본 제압 '대이변'" [[Olympic Games] North Korea's Ri Jeong-sik and Kim Geum-yong beat Japan, the candidates for the table tennis mixed boxing title, in a 'great upset']. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean).
  7. ^ a b "Ri and Kim from Democratic People's Republic of Korea reach table tennis mixed doubles final". Olympics.com. 29 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  8. ^ Hu, Krystal (28 July 2024). "Japan's Olympic mixed doubles table tennis team stunned in first round". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  9. ^ Hu, Krystal (29 July 2024). "Table Tennis-North Korea reaches mixed doubles final to challenge China". Reuters.
  10. ^ "북한, 8년 만 올림픽 메달…탁구 혼복 리정식-김금용 銀[올림픽]" [North Korea wins Olympic medal after 8 years... Table Tennis Mixed Ri Jeong-sik – Kim Geum-yong Silver [Olympic]]. SPNews.co.kr (in Korean). 30 July 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  11. ^ "North Korea Win First Olympic Medal In Eight Years With Table Tennis Silver". Barron's. Agence France-Presse. 30 July 2024. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  12. ^ McCurry, Justin (2 September 2024). "North Korean table tennis players may be punished for Olympic podium selfie with rivals from South". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
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