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PYONGYANG, North Korea -- Despite claiming only two gold medals in Rio, North Korea is as determined as ever to fulfill one of leader Kim Jong Uns primary goals: to become an international sports superpower.North Koreas small Olympic team won its two golds in weightlifting, where it has a number of world-class and world-record-holding lifters, and gymnastics. Weightlifter Rim Jong Sim won the gold in the womens 75-kilogram division, while gymnast Ri Se Gwang won the mens vault. The North also won three silver and two bronze medals.When our Rim Jong Sim stood on the podium with our national anthem playing, she cried and my mother and I cried, too, as we watched on TV, Ri Yun Gum, an 18-year-old government worker, said Monday in Pyongyang as the Rio games were coming to a close. I think our athletes are able to win not just because they train hard, but because of their mental toughness.The performance was a tad shy of expectations, since North Korea had four golds in London.But transforming North Korea, which has very limited economic resources and a population of only about 25 million, into a player to be reckoned with on the global sports stage is one of Kims pet projects, and he has poured funds into the development and training of promising athletes over the past several years.It has already made a visible mark on Pyongyang.The relatively affluent capital has seen the rise of a number of major new or renovated sports venues, and each year its usually restricted streets are opened for the Pyongyang Marathon, which has become a major tourist attraction. Though pickup volleyball games and football matches in schoolyards have long been a staple in the city, its now a common sight to see young people out jogging or even canoeing on the two main rivers that run through Pyongyang.And while South Korea lets its top athletes get out of military service as a gold medal reward, elite athletes returning home to the North after winning international competitions often get a heros welcome -- and maybe a condo.Of course, Pyongyangs push to garner international prestige and generate national pride by winning medals isnt terribly original. It appears to have been pulled straight out of the playbook of former Soviet bloc countries like East Germany, and is similar to the strong political significance sports are still given in Russia and China, North Koreas two biggest historical backers.But the campaign is also seen as part of Kims effort to make North Korea a more modern nation.There are two reasons why sports are important, Jang Sok Ha, manager of the newly opened Pyongyang Sports Equipment Factory, told The Associated Press on Monday. People in good health can work harder, but they also need cultural rest and recreation.Jangs sparkling new factory, which opened in April, is a big part of the drive and is one of the largest in the country. Its task is to provide regular people affordable sports equipment -- from soccer balls to badminton rackets.Standing in the factory showroom, surrounded by everything from field hockey balls to judo uniforms and bags of talcum powder for weightlifters, Jang proudly produced a basketball signed by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, one of the only foreigners to ever meet with Kim. He then grabbed a ball emblazoned with Naesongsan, his factorys brand.Our balls are good enough to be used by the NBA, too, he said.North Koreans are able to follow the Olympics, or at least some selected events, on TV and radio broadcasts and in newspapers, all of which are run by the state.I watched the games every day, said housewife Hong Un Byol, 34. I was so happy to see our national flag raised after the gold medals. The athletes practiced a lot to give pleasure to the Marshal. Kim is often respectfully referred to by that title, one of the many that he holds.Beyond the playing field, sports have from time to time provided brief respites in the normally tense relations between the two Koreas.During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, North and South Koreans marched together under a flag that symbolized unification. North Koreas womens soccer team won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, with the South winning bronze. Many South Koreans delighted in seeing players from both countries celebrate together after the medal ceremony.While such sentiments were generally absent during the Rio Olympics, one of the most touching moments came when gymnasts Hong Un Jong of North Korea and Lee Eun-ju of South Korea met on the sidelines during their event and posed together smiling for a selfie. Photos of their warm moments delighted many South Koreans and provided a rare note of concord in otherwise abysmal relations between the rivals.Officially, however, both countries frown on such meetings.The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war because there has been no peace treaty signed to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War. Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea in what Seoul and Washington claim is a necessary deterrent to any threats from North Korea. Turning up the heat, the U.S. and South Korea just kicked off annual war games that Pyongyang says are a prelude to invasion.Games or no games, accusations against the South of trying to create trouble -- not of hugging gymnasts -- are what dominate the headlines here.---Talmadge is the APs Pyongyang bureau chief.Aron Baynes Suns Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Kevin Johnson Jersey .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Jevon-Carter-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Dan Majerle Jersey .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Steve Nash Suns Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007.SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Coach Chip Kelly is putting Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert on equal footing as they compete for the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback job.Both players received the same number of practice reps through the first three days of training camp. Kelly said he will use preseason games to decide the starter.Theyre not going to get hit in any of our training sessions and theres no quarterback in the NFL or even college that probably gets hit in practice, Kelly said.So, really the big determination with those guys will be the preseason games are going to be huge for those guys.Gabbert replaced Kaepernick nine games into last season after the 49ers went 2-6 in Kaepernicks starts under former coach Jim Tomsula. They finished 3-5 with Gabbert starting, who posted a career-best 86.2 passer rating after a turbulent three-year tenure in Jacksonville led to a trade to San Francisco in 2014.Kaepernick missed the majority of the offseason program while recovering from three surgeries. He was placed on injured reserve in November to have surgery on his left shoulder. After the season, he had procedures on his throwing hand and left knee.While recovering, Kaepernick during practice stood yards behind offensive drills and took mental notes. That helped him transition to Kellys up-tempo offense before being cleared by team doctors to participate in training camp this week.It felt great just to be back on the field to start with, and then to get into the offense and really sink my teeth into and get comfortable with it, Kaepernick said. It felt good with everything I was doing.Gabbert, who was selecteed 26 spots ahead of Kaepernick in the 2011 draft, faces free agency next spring and is looking to improve on last season to revitalize his career after the Jaguars went 5-22 in his starts.dddddddddddds a 22-year-old rookie, Gabbert replaced veteran David Gerrard in the starting lineup.This isnt my first quarterback competition Ive ever been in and definitely wont be the last, Gabbert said. So when youre out there, youve just got to make the most out of your opportunities and go out there and have fun.While Gabbert and Kaepernick are competing for the starting job, theyre also trying to learn Kellys fast-paced offense. His no-huddle attack led to the Eagles ranking last in time of possession in Kellys three seasons, which tests players physically and mentally.When youre physically tired, youve still got to think, Gabbert said. Thats something youve got to work hard at because when your body starts going, start breathing hard, youve still got to process the information, the play call coming into your headset, know what your read is, whether its a run game or pass game being able to kind of function when youre tired.Kaepernick spent his time off before training camp trying to regain weight after the surgeries impacted his weight lifting regimen.Yeah, (Im) definitely putting a lot of weight back on, Kaepernick said. I dont look like my high school self anymore. I feel like I look more like an adult now.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '