[PyeongChang 2018] Two Koreas' figure skaters may practice together

Published : Feb 4, 2018 - 20:06 Updated : Feb 4, 2018 - 21:36

South Korea's figure skating duo of Kim Kyu-eun and Kam Kang-chan may share the ice with their North Korean counterparts Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik in an official practice session for the upcoming 2018 PyeogChang Winter Olympic Games, officials said Sunday.

"The pairs teams from South Korea and North Korea are sorted into group C for Monday's practice sessions," an official from the organizing committee for the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Olympics said.

"They will be on the ice together at Gangneung Ice Arena."

North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik practice their routine (Yonhap)

The group's practices are scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. for 50 minutes each, according to the official.

It will be the first time that the two pairs have skated on the same ice in South Korea, although they trained together in Canada last summer.

They could have both competed in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taiwan last month, but the South Korean team withdrew due to an injury. The Ryom-Kim tandem finished third at the last-minute tournament before PyeongChang with a personal best total of 184.98 points.

But their encounter in the runup to the PyeongChang Olympics may not happen as they may miss each other.

The South's Kim-Kam duo moves into the athletes' village on Sunday, but they skipped their first workout sessions reserved that day.

Ryom and Kim came to Gangneung Ice Arena on Sunday but went through their morning practice only. (Yonhap)