Two South Korean speedskaters have come under fire for shaming their teammate in a live interview on national television.
South Korea finished seventh in the 500m team pursuit heats in Pyeongchang on Monday, failing to move on to the semifinals.
Kim Bo-reum reportedly blamed Noh Seon-yeong, who finished nearly four seconds behind her two teammates.
"We were skating well," Kim said, according to the BBC. “But the last skater [Noh] couldn't keep up and we had a disappointing score."
Their fellow skater Park Ji-woo added: "I was very shocked when I crossed the finish line, because that's when I realized Noh was not with us."
Noh was visibly upset by their comments, bursting into tears after the race, according to Channel NewsAsia. Her teammates ignored her.
Their behavior angered South Koreans who started a petition on the official website of South Korea's presidential office, calling for the two athletes to be banned from competitions. By Tuesday afternoon, more than 400,000 people signed it.
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"It is a clear national disgrace that such people with a personality problem are representing a country in the Olympics,” the petition reads, according to BBC. “We are petitioning that Kim Bo-reum and Park Ji-woo forfeit their rights as national athletes and be banned from international competitions including the Olympics."
Kim has apologized and closed down her Instagram account after a slew of negative comments from fans, according to Channel NewsAsia.
"I did an interview the previous day, and I apologize for hurting the feelings of many people. It is my fault that I failed to keep track of team-mates behind me,” she said.
Kim's sponsor, sportswear manufacturer NEPA, reportedly said it will not be renewing her contract.
