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Latest Show: N. Korea's Rival 'Olympics,' Socceroos In Saigon, U.S. Goalie Vs. Hitler

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North Korea hosted the World Festival of Youth and Students was held in response to the 1988 Seoul Olympics. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP Images)
In response to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, North Korea hosted the World Festival of Youth and Students. The opening ceremony (above) was held at May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP Images)

After South Korea was awarded the 1988 Summer Olympics, North Korean leaders decided to boycott and host their own event. This week on Only A Game, the story of Pyongyang’s 1989 World Festival of Youth Students. Plus, looking back at the Australian men's soccer team's trip to Saigon during the Vietnam War. And the tale of the U.S. hockey goalie who stood up to Hitler at the 1936 Olympics. Join us!

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'A Total Failure' — North Korea's Attempt To Rival The '88 Olympics

After South Korea landed the 1988 Summer Olympics, North Korean leaders decided to host their own major international event. The 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students was devastating for the North Korean economy.

3 Stories: Mavs' Misconduct, Olympic Doping, For-Profit NCAA Hoops

Julie DiCaro, a host at Chicago's 670 The Score, and sports writer and editor Patrick Hruby join Bill Littlefield.

At Height Of Vietnam War, Australia Tried Soccer Diplomacy

During the Vietnam War, Australia sent its soccer team to Saigon to compete in the "Friendship Tournament." "Fighter planes here, there and everywhere — you thought, 'Hello, we are in the middle of a war zone,' " one former player recalls.

Charlie Pierce: The Week In Sports

Bill Littlefield and Only A Game analyst Charlie Pierce weigh in on the U.S. women hockey team's shootout victory over Canada, a bad week for the Louisville men's basketball program and a new world record for fastest speed on a snowboard ... towed by a vehicle.

The U.S. Hockey Goalie Who Stood Up To Hitler At The 1936 Olympics

Jesse Owens' performance in the 1936 Summer Olympics is legendary. But six months earlier, another American athlete defied Hitler at the 1936 Winter Games.

This program aired on February 24, 2018.

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