By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Maiya Li from Kazakhstan
Photos = Maiya Li
Gangneung l Feb. 21, 2018

The PyeongChang Olympic are almost finished and gradually moving toward their Closing Ceremony. Nevertheless, lots of dramatic personal stories have yet to come.

On Feb. 21, for the first time in my life, I was a witness to a genuine competition in women’s figure skating. Figure skaters from the U.S., Canada, Japan, Belgium, Germany, China, Israel, Russia, Kazakhstan and, of course, Korea were doing their short programs. I was very much excited and looking forward to the performances of two Kazakhstani athletes, Aiza Mambekova and Elizabet Tursynbayeva, both 18-years-old.

Kazakhstan’s figure skating is still young and immature. However, it already has some internationally famous rising stars, like Denis Ten and Elizabet Tursynbayeva. Ten is an ethnic Korean Kazakhstani who was born and raised in Kazakhstan. Most of the time he trains in the U.S., but he often comes to Kazakhstan to meet his fans and to give amazing ice shows called “Denis Meets Friends,” which he believes attracts more young people to figure skating. Tursynbayeva is a lovely young lady who, like Ten, usually trains abroad, mostly in Toronto, Canada, and whose role model is Kim Yuna. Last year was very tough for both of them. They both suffered very serious injuries and had to recover as soon as possible to be ready for these Winter Olympics. They still experience pain during training sessions. That’s why everyone including their fans, understand how much effort Ten and Tursynbayeva have put into their performances here.



On my way to the Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 21, I was expecting some kind of a miracle from Aiza Mambekova and Elizabet Tursynbayeva. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially because I was visiting the figure skating event as part of a special tour organized by the Korean design company Sigong Tech. Basically, Sigong Tech was paying so much attention to this particular competition because of the two Kazakhstani athletes. The company has been actively working in Kazakhstan since 2017 when it implemented a design project for the national pavilion of Korea at Expo 2017 in Astana. After the successful completion of that previous project, the company signed another mutually beneficial contract with the government of Kazakhstan. So at the moment, the company is in the process of making a Career Center for Children & Youth, just like the Job World Museum in Korea.

In a nutshell, a group of 30 ethnic Korean Kazakhstanis, including me, came to support and cheer for Mambekova and Tursynbayeva, holding around 70 small Kazakhstani flags and one big one, shouting some chants in Kazakh, like, “Alga, Kazakhstan” (Go, go, Kazakhstan), and “Zharaisyn” (Good job). We even practiced on the bus on the way to Gangneung. Even the CEO and the vice CEO of the company took time to participate in the event. For me, it was an indescribable gesture of respect and love for Kazakhstan coming from Korea.

Although both Mambekova and Tursynbayeva were not able to show very good results, I was truly blessed by the opportunity to be a part of one of the most important and world-wide famous events, the Olympics. There is no doubt that it wouldn’t have been possible without the great Korean people who let another one of my dreams come true.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.