London 2012 Olympics: Miffed North Korea Recovers From Flag Snafu
Action got off to a rocky start one day before opening ceremonies in London.
July 26, 2012— -- The North Korean women's soccer team has apparently regained its footing after an inauspicious start to the 2012 Olympic games when the players walked off the field because event organizers displayed the South Korean flag as they introduced the North Koreans.
They were eventually persuaded to return to the field and whipped Colombia 2-0 after officials showed the correct flag.
"If this matter couldn't have been resolved, then I thought going on is nonsense," coach Sin Ui Gun told The Associated Press through an interpreter after the game. "We were angry because our players were introduced as if they were from South Korea, which may affect us very greatly, as you might know."
The embarrassing mistake happened as the North Korean women were warming up. As the players were introduced, the jumbo screen displayed a mug shot of one of the players next to the South Korean flag. The team refused to play for more than an hour.
The London organizers took full blame and issued an apology.
To kickoff the games, Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with Prince Harry, are in the United Kingdom capital at Bacon's College, a secondary school in East London. Prince William spoke today on the excitement generated by the games.
"Over the next month the eye of the world will be on Great Britain," he said. "For us to hold the Olympic and the Paralympic Games here in London is a great moment for our nation, which itself, is steeped in sporting history. Therefore, for Catherine, Harry and me, there can be no better way to starting this epic time than being with you here, so close to the heart of London 2012."
The Duke of Cambridge also added some humor about him and his brother while praising his wife.
"Watching me on the football field is never a pretty sight," William joked. "The expression 'giraffe on ice' springs to mind. "However, it's marginally less embarrassing than seeing my brother cheat his way to become the fastest man on the planet.
"Catherine, on the other hand, with a tennis racquet or a hockey stick, is something to behold and be aware of. What all three of us have in common is that we love sports, and not just playing it, but what it does for people young and old."
The U.S. women's soccer team got off to a rough start Wednesday, surrendering two quick goals in their preliminary match against France in Glasgow. The United States rallied right back to tie the score with goals by Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan.
Carli Lloyd, who helped the team clinch gold in Beijing four years ago, scored the eventual game winner. Morgan would score one final goal for a little extra insurance en route to a 4-2 win over France in the preliminary round.
No Olympics would be complete without celebrity sightings and lots of glitzy parties for the famous and fabulous. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali sponsored an event in London Wednesday at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which raised money for the Muhammad Ali Center and for research into Parkinson's disease.
Irish rocker Bob Geldof was in attendance, and when asked what Olympic sport he would like to compete in, he replied, "The egg and spoon race."
Others in attendance included Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, tennis star Boris Becker and boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Ali won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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