Apolo Ohno’s emergence as one of America’s greatest speed skaters
From stumbles to victory, Apolo Ohno emerged as one of America’s first and greatest Olympic speed skaters
Apolo Anton Ohno was born on May 22, 1982 in Seattle, Washington. His father, Yuki Ohno, was a Japanese-American and his mother, Jerrie Lee, was a white American. They divorced when Ohno was still a baby and he was raised by his father.
Ohno’s father was concerned with his son’s unsupervised time and got him involved in competitive swimming and in-line skating, both of which he excelled at. Ohno became interested in short track ice skating after seeing the sport on television. When he was 14 years old, his father sent him to the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center to train full-time. After training for just six months, he claimed his first overall title at the U.S. Championships.
In the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Ohno finished last in the trials, but went on to become the first American to be the overall World Cup champion during the 2000-01 season. Four years later, he qualified for the U.S. team in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Ohno quickly emerged as a popular athlete among U.S. fans for his cheerful attitude and casual style. He became the face of short track speed skating in the U.S., which was a relatively new sport at the time. Ohno earned two medals during the 2002 games, a gold and a silver. The gold medal was won after the leader, Kim Dong-Sung from South Korea, was disqualified for blocking Ohno. This decision resulted in a hailstorm of negative statements and even death threats from South Korean fans.
Ohno decided not to participate in the 2003 World Cup short track event in Korea for security reasons stemming from the 2002 Olympic games. He did, however, go to South Korea for the 2005 World Cup meet, where he won two gold medals, as well as the overall title.
Ohno got off to a rocky start in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, stumbling during a semifinal heat. He finished last in the 1500 meter, but went on to win the bronze medal in the 1000 meter, a gold in the 500 meter, and another bronze in the men’s 5000 meter relay.
So far in 2007, Ohno won his 8th U.S. National title in February, placing first in every event. During the World Championship in March, he won a gold and two bronze medals. On April 23, he announced that he will be competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
On a personal level, Ohno was inducted into the Asian-American Hall of Fame on April 26, 2007. This honor is given to Asian-Americans who have contributed to their heritage by breaking new ground or achieving excellence in their field at both a national and international level.
2007 also saw Ohno as a contestant on ABC’s popular Dancing with the Stars. He and his partner, Julianne Hough, received the first perfect score of 30 for their samba on the April 16th show. Ohno and his partner eventually reached the show’s final round, alongside Laila Ali and Joey Fatone. Ohno and Julianne were named the season 4 winners on May 22, Ohno’s 25th birthday.
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Born: May 22, 1982
Died: –
Famous For: American short track speed skater.
Key Accomplishments: Five-time Olympic medalist; Reigning U.S. short track champion since 2001; Holds eight U.S. men’s titles; Youngest American to win a World Cup Event (at age 17).
Significant Quote: “Skating was a gift given to me, and it’s a sport I love. I go out there every single day and there isn’t a day I don’t want to be out there.”
Fun Quote: “I’m not a clotheshorse, but I do like to look good.”
Method of practicing Speed Skating????????????1of4
where do i find these venues in canada?
So im doing this one thing over the olympics
and i need to find these places in canada on the map
does anyone know where they are?
1) Village located at Southeast False Creek
2) Convention Center located at the waterfront in the heart of Vancouver. So you will have to find what the waterfront is.
3)Curling and Wheelchair Curling located at Hillcrest Park adjacent to Nat Baily Stadium
4)Secondary venue for hockey games and practice located at University of British Columbia
5)Ice Rinks for Practice located at Trout Lake/Killarnry
6)Opening and closing for medal cermonies located at Downtown Vancouver
7)Primary ice hocey venue located at GM Place Downtown Vancouver
8)Short track speed skating and figure skating located at Hastings park
How can one start speedskating/short track?
I’ve followed Short Track/Speed Skating for years now, and absolutely LOVE the sport. I’ve always loved skating, and I go often, and after these past olympics I dicided that I need some sort of hobby, and Short Track or Speed Skating would be an awesome thing to pick up. But how? There is a rink a few minutes away from my house in Bel Air, Maryland (Home of Kimmie Miesnner, 6th place womens figureskater in the olympics!) They offer figure skating classes, and basic skills courses, but nothing in the realm I’m looking for I am afraid.
I hear University of Delaware has some sort of rink open with a number of classes, but I don’t know anything about it. I’m not looking to dream about the olympics, but competeing would be fun.
Also, I am 6′ tall, slender, and 17 years old. Am I too late?
Any ideas would be awesome.
Which Winter Olympic event is your favorite? Which would you most like to see? Why?
I’m considering attending some of the events at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. I know I won’t be able to see all of them (logistics, time, and money), but here are the announced events:
Alpine skiing
Biathlon
Bobsleigh
Cross-country skiing
Curling
Figure skating
Freestyle skiing
Ice hockey
Luge
Nordic combined
Short track speed skating
Skeleton
Skicross
Ski jumping
Snowboarding
Speed skating
It’s early I know, but tickets go on sale in October, and I don’t want to have to worry about an online scam as some have in Beijing this summer.
NFL Odds
Speed skating is a different sport but can it help with hockey speed?
starbrite74?? asked:
Would speed skating help with hockey speed or would it encourage incorrect form?
speedskating with different skates and the skinsuit.
inline speed skating highlights – motley crew songwild side
cjhfunk asked:
Go to http://www.inlinespeedskater.com to watch complete inline speed skating video. Inline speed skating highlights of speed skating crashes, speed skaters falling, and inline speed skating races which feature the worlds top athletes on speed skates with motley crew song the wild side.
[1]2007 World Short Track speed skating Champion Ship (day2)
lick10 asked:
Day2 (men and ladies 500m)