Opinion | Inside Incheon: North's "Dear Leader" and stone-breaking egg is just mental strength
Real reasons behind North Koreans' record-breaking performances is much simpler than faith in 'grand marshal'
Soon after they had pocketed their expensive timepieces - awarded to all athletes who break a world record - North Korea's record-breaking weightlifters Om Yun-chol and Kim Un-guk disclosed the secret behind their successes.
It needs an egg, a stone and an idea. But if you try it at home, you will also need the love of a "dear leader", presumably the person running your country. Yes, in North Korea they do it a little differently.
Om and Kim, both gold medallists at the London Olympics, were revealing to the media how they had come to set new marks in the under-56kg and under-62kg events.
When the chips are down, it helps to tap in to your nationalistic fervour to draw strength
It wasn't just because of the hours of painful training, but rather because Om had an idea relating to an egg and a stone.
"Have you heard that an egg can break a stone?" Om asked.
"The respected marshal has told us that if we came to the Games with an idea we could crack a stone with an egg."
His teammate Kim added: "Our dear leader, who empathised with my hardships during training, gave me love and support to help me achieve such a successful result."
No prizes for guessing who the "respected marshal" or the "dear leader" is. The normally tightlipped North Koreans are not averse to singing the praises of their country's leader, Kim Jong-un.