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SEOUL, South Korea -- Despite a continuing nuclear standoff and virtually no interactions between each other politically, some North and South Koreans are making an exception -- among their athletes at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.The countries interactions in Rio first grabbed international headlines when South Koreas 17-year-old gymnast Lee Eun-ju took a selfie with North Koreas Hong Un Jong earlier this month as they trained for competition. They interacted more a few days later when they shared the floor during preliminary competition, where Lee was eliminated and Hong advanced to the vault final.It is Lees first Olympics, while Hong was the first North Korean female gymnast to win gold, at the 2008 Beijing Games.IOC President Thomas Bach described the selfie as a great gesture.On Wednesday, North Korean shooter Kim Song Guk walked up to South Korean rival Jin Jongoh and shook his hand moments after Jin clinched his third straight Olympic gold in the mens 50-meter pistol.Kim, who took the bronze in the event, and Jin, exchanged a handshake again at the medal podium.If we (the two Koreas) become one, the medals we win will have bigger meaning. If we become unified in the future, the first place and third place (medals) would all belong to (one) Korea, Kim said.South Korean archery gold medalist Chang Hye-jin also said she developed friendly relations with North Korean archer Kang Un Ju, who she said called her eonni, a Korean word used when a woman refers to an elder sister or friend.I talked briefly with Un Ju the other day; she asked how I shoot so quickly, and also some stuff about equipment, Chang told South Korean reporters, days before her win in the womens individual event.Its not the first time athletes from the Koreas have had this type of interaction, even though their governments formally bar their ordinary citizens, divided along the worlds most heavily fortified border since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, from exchanging phone calls, letters and emails.South Korea requires its citizens engaged in spontaneous interaction with North Koreans during foreign travels to submit reports about the meeting within a week. But Seoul doesnt ask for such reports for athletes at international sporting competitions like the Olympics because its too obvious that their purpose of participating in the events has nothing to do with meeting North Koreans.Pyongyangs state media hasnt reported about the interaction at Rio. But South Korean analysts say the North appears to be allowing its athletes to behave more freely and interact with their South Korean counterparts in a bid to improve its external image as it grapples with multiple international sanctions imposed over its weapons programs.It would be impossible for North Koreans to talk and act in that way without government direction and strict internal guidelines, said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seouls Dongguk University. What we are seeing from North Korean athletes in Rio is a result of choreography.At the height of Cold War rivalry, sports were often another battlefield between the Koreas. North Korean medalists often ignored South Korean competitors who extended their hands for handshakes at podiums. North Korea also boycotted the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympics, both held in Seoul.After the end of Cold War, the divided Koreas occasionally used sports as a way to thaw relations. They formed a single table-tennis team for a world championship in Japan in 1991 and won the womens doubles title. That year, they also fielded one team for a world youth soccer championship and reached the quarterfinals.Athletes from the two Koreas marched together in the same uniform under the blue and white unification flag during the opening ceremonies of several major international sports events, including the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.Reconciliation efforts were later put on hold due to North Koreas nuclear ambitions. Earlier this year, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and a prohibited long-range rocket launch, inviting tougher U.N. sanctions and worldwide condemnations. Seoul and Washington also announced last month they would place an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, and Pyongyang responded by warning of unspecified physical counteractions and firing several missiles into the sea.More weapons tests by North Korea are expected later this month when U.S. and South Korean troops begin their annual drills that Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal.There are no reports that officials of the two Koreas might use the Olympics as a chance to resume talks. Choe Ryong Hae, one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns close associates who had been in Rio to watch games, left Brazil on Wednesday without meeting any South Korean officials, according to South Korean media reports.---Follow Hyung-jin Kim at twitter.com/hyungjin1972 and Kim Tong-hyung at twitter.com/KimTongHyung Bruce Smith Bills Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Ed Oliver Womens Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Matt-Milano-Bills-Jersey/ . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Doug Flutie Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Ed Oliver Youth Jersey EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Columbus Blue Jackets started slowly. The way they finished was all that mattered, though.Sam Gagner had a goal and an assist, and the streaking Blue Jackets won their seventh straight game by beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Tuesday night.I thought the team took a little while to get going. But once we started playing, I thought we had a good second half of the game, Gagner said. I think were on a good run here and we want to keep pushing forward.Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert also scored to help the Blue Jackets (18-5-4) improve to 8-0-1 in their last nine games.Tyler Pitlick had the goal for the Oilers (15-12-5), who have lost five of six.The Oilers got a 4-minute power play to start the second period on a mistaken call after Edmonton forward Milan Lucic accidentally caught teammate Connor McDavid in the face with his stick.Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 33 saves, squashed Edmontons opportunity to take a two-goal lead, and Columbus went on to score three consecutive goals.You do get some momentum from killing it, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. I dont think we panicked. I didnt think we competed that hard in the first period, but then we found ourselves.It was Edmontons 32nd game of the season compared to 27 for Columbus, but Lucic said fatigue wasnt a valid excuse.We had more than enough rest over the last two days to be ready for this one, he said. We had the energy we wanted in the first period, but we just couldnt sustain it. We just didnt keep it going for 60 minutes and thats a big reason we lost.Edmonton got on the scoreboard first, just past the midpoint of the opening period as a hard-charging Pitlick got to a rebound in the blue paint and chipped it over Bobrovsky..dddddddddddd.The Oilers appeared to add another with 4 minutes left in the first, but officials determined forward Zack Kassian interfered with the goalie on the play.Columbus tied the game on a power play 8 minutes into the second period when Gagner came back to hurt his old team. The puck went off the toe of his skate and past Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot for Gagners fourth goal in the last four games and 12th of the season.The Blue Jackets made it 2-1 at 7:10 of the third as a pass deflected to Atkinson and he hammered his 11th of the season past Talbot.Columbus added to its lead 1:36 later when Calvert took advantage of a sloppy Oilers line change and rifled a shot off Talbots arm and into the net.The Blue Jackets completely took over in the third and were outshooting Edmonton 12-0 midway through the period.Coming from behind on a team like that, a lot of teams in the league havent been able to do that. And you can put us on the list as well, Oilers coach Todd McLellan said.Game notes It was the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The other one is Jan. 3 in Columbus. ... Oilers D Brandon Davidson played his first game since injuring his shoulder in the season opener Oct. 12 against Calgary. That was good news for Edmonton, which announced that fellow defenseman Darnell Nurse could miss up to three months following ankle surgery. ... Columbus captain Nick Foligno returned to the lineup after missing two games with the flu.UP NEXTBlue Jackets: Play at Calgary on Friday, the second game of a three-game road swing through Western Canada.Oilers: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. ' ' '