Paris Olympics: Mysterious and unconventional, North Korean runner-up duo baffle rivals

From qualifications to their second-place finish at the Paris Olympics, North Korea's Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong have emerged as the dark horse, bringing home a silver medal for a country that missed the past two Games.

The two first-time Olympians defeated the second, eighth, and fourth seeds over the past three days before coming up short against the world number one duo, China's Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, in the mixed doubles final with a score of 4-2 on Tuesday.

By staying under the radar and participating in few international competitions, Ri and Kim have made it difficult for opponents to study and prepare for them. Many attribute their success to top-notch skills and Kim’s unconventional choice of rubber on her paddle.

After long avoiding media interviews, the duo finally answered a few questions briefly at the press conference for medallists. They said they have been in contact with the Chinese team and that they train in their own country. Despite few words to share with the world, their ambition remains evident.

"We prepared a lot for the Olympics. We had a good performance but there are some regrets," said Kim. "We’ll do better next time to win the gold."

The diminutive Kim uses a less common bat among professional athletes. The backside of her paddle is fitted with long pimpled rubber, which caught many top players off guard.

"Her serve gave me a lot of trouble. Some of them looked easy, but I missed them. The rubber she uses is very unusual among female players and almost nonexistent among male players," said Swedish player Kristian Karlsson, who lost to the pair in the quarter-finals.

Little information is available about Kim Kum Yong, 22, and Ri Jong Sik, 24. As the lowest-ranked of 16 teams in the competition, they first knocked out defending Olympic champions Japan.