Choe Hyo-sim, a 27-year-old North Korean weightlifter, was a strong contender for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Five years ago, she won silver in Rio, and she was expected to compete for the women’s 59kg in Tokyo.

But Choe did not get her chance at this year’s Summer Games, and she was not the only one.

North Korean weightlifters were absent from the events at Tokyo International Forum, where other athletes gathered from around the world to compete for a chance at sports immortality.

“I was surprised, because it means so much to [North Korea], because they’ve got such