Can someone explain how two tiny little countries like North and South Korea are doing so well on the medals table? Is it just the way the games are scheduled (they do well in starting games)?

Because there is massive prestige at stake for the one that finishes ahead of the other in the medal table.

Why do you think that East Germany, with a population of 17 million, used to finish even above the Soviet Union (population 400 million) in the medals tables? Even the Soviets gave the East German sports academies money in order to directly 'prove' the superiority of the communist system (East Germany winning far more medals than capitalist West Germany).

Actually, Koreans are quite an athletic people. They tend to be taller and more muscular than their Japanese cousins, and most other Asian peoples as well (apart from polynesians and turkic races). South Korea also has the same population as GB, France, Italy.

North Koreans are supposed to be 2 or 3 inches shorter than South Koreans on average due to inferior nutrition.

Blackit wrote:

Why do you think that East Germany, with a population of 17 million, used to finish even above the Soviet Union (population 400 million) in the medals tables? Even the Soviets gave the East German sports academies money in order to directly 'prove' the superiority of the communist system (East Germany winning far more medals than capitalist West Germany).


During the 70's and 80's the East German government had a policy of providing drugs to their athletes to enhance performance. This could have something to do with it!

For a variety of reasons, Olympic games have different schedules every time.

The end result is what matters.

Most host countries do well - because of local support and enthusiasm.

DRUGZ woz reazonz pozed for E. German & other pre-Y2K rekudz never to be beat?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……….

I'm still incredibly impressed by both Koreans and wish some decent paper would do a feature on them...

And am I being stupidly optimistic to wonder whether entertainment (sport is surely an ingredient of that bigger, positive area) could enable the North and South to consider unifying? Surely a United Korea would make sense commercially, economically, socially? As usual (Cyprus, Ireland, Palestine, India) it was the West and other countries that did this stupid, negative PARTITION thing...

As regular visitors know, I'm a HUMANIST (we should be in the Euro)... in many ways the human race should unify whilst keeping cultures, foods, character of individual countries (but not stoopid RELIGION)...