For North Korean athletes, the prospect of failure participating on the big stage carries a punishment far worse than a damaged ego.
Having failed to land a single medal in South Korea so far, its Winter Olympic team could suffer the same fate as previous underperforming athletes - imprisonment in one of the country's sick gulags.
The entire 1966 North Korean World Cup squad were arrested and thrown into a concentration camp for failing to bring about national glory
Former leader Kim Il-Sung is widely believed to have ordered them to be arrested after they lost to 5-3 Portugal days after they were seen drinking with local women in public.
Instead of going home to a proud welcome, the are reported to have been sent to one of the reclusive nation's most notorious gulags.
North Korean defector Kang Chol-Hwan claims he met some of the team while they were being held in Yodok prison, or Camp 15, usually reserved for political prisoners.
Similar treatment awaited Olympic team who traveled to Rio 2016 and came back with just two gold medals.
"Those who won medals will be rewarded with better housing allocations, better rations... and maybe other gifts from the regime," North Korea expert Toshimitsu Shigemura told the Telegraph.
He said athletes who "disappointed" the leader would likely be punished with a downgrade in housing, reduced rations and even "being sent to the coal mines".
The damned may have included weightlifter Hyo Sim-Choe (on left), a gold medal favorite who walked away with a mere silver.
Here are some of the activities the Olympians might enjoy at camp.
North Korean figure skating pair Tae Ok Ryom and Ju Sik Kim may be punished rewarded for not winning a medal at the Winter Olympics
2/20/2018, 1:16 pm
Chairman Meow
They have failed not only themselves but the entire North Korean people! The gold in those medals was necessary to purchase food for the Kangwon district this winter!
2/20/2018, 6:08 pm
Chief Designer
Antonio Salazarinski wrote:Instead of going home to a proud welcome, the are reported to have been sent to one of the reclusive nation's most notorious gulags.
Now we know where all of Al Gorski's hockey sticks went..
