In November 1971, the 5th World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships took place in Havana, Cuba.
Among the participating athletes was Ri Sun Dok from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Ri started to perform choreographed movements by using a rope to the tune of gentle yet vigorous music, capturing the imagination of the spectators.
When she performed a stunt–five times in a row–in which she threw the rope up and caught it before jumping into the air, performing a side split and turning the rope twice around herself, the spectators burst into thunderous cheers.
This stunt had not been imitated by any other athletes in over a decade thereafter.
It earned Ri world championship in the rope event, and she was honoured with the title of Merited Athlete and high state commendation.
Born into an ordinary worker’s family in Pyoksong County, South Hwanghae Province, Ri had an unusual aptitude for dancing in her childhood.
At the age of 13, she was admitted to the then Pyongyang University of Art to receive dance education. After graduation, she was enrolled at the Pyongyang Sports Club as a gymnast.
Very tenacious and competitive, she made painstaking efforts to prepare herself to be a gymnast of character capable of turning all technical movements into exquisite and refined ones. As a result, she proved herself at domestic and international competitions.
After her playing career, she got married and worked as a coach and international referee, devoting herself to the training of gymnasts and the development of the country’s gymnastics.
During these days some of the gymnasts she trained brought glory to home by winning gold medals at dozens of international competitions, including the 7th Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships of Four Continents, the 22nd Universiad and the 3rd Pyongyang International Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.
Ko Chol Hwa
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