Athlete Bios
Short-track speedskating
Ohno looks to break Heiden's record in Vancouver
Last Updated: Saturday, February 6, 2010 | 9:18 PM ET
New York Times for CBC Sports
American short-track speedskater Apolo won three medals at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)Apolo Anton Ohno is a five-time Olympic medallist in short-track speedskating and the winner of the reality television competition Dancing With the Stars.
Ohno earned three medals at the 2006 Turin Games, including a gold medal in the 500 metres and bronze medals in the 1,000 and the 5,000-metre relay. He is tied with the former speedskater Eric Heiden for most medals won by an American man. Ohno has labelled his gold medal in the 500 his “perfect race.”
Ohno, 27, will compete for the United States in the Vancouver Games, which will be held not far from his hometown, Seattle. Ohno won the overall meet title at the United States short-track speedskating championships in September to qualify for the Olympics.
Ohno grew up in Federal Way, Wash., and was raised by a single father, Yuki. He competed in swimming before becoming a speedskater full time.
In the 2002 Salt Lake Games, Ohno came from relative obscurity to win his first two medals. He won the bronze in the 500, after a group of skaters crashed into one another near the finish line, with Ohno quickly scrambling to his feet ahead of the others.
In the 1,500, Ohno attempted to pass the leader, Kim Dong Sung of South Korea, and when Kim illegally blocked Ohno, he was disqualified. Ohno took the gold.
Ohno has won the United States short-track overall men’s title seven times. He earned the World Cup overall title in 2001, a first for an American, and captured the same honour in 2003 and 2005.
With his long hair, good looks and the trademark soul patch on his chin, Ohno became a crossover star. He was featured prominently in a national magazine as the face of American speedskating. This culminated with his appearance on Dancing With the Stars, showcasing Ohno’s charm to a legion of new fans.
Ohno paired with Julianne Hough for the fourth season of the hit reality competition in 2007. In the final, one judge awarded the pair a perfect 30 score, while the other two scored their routine at a 29. Ohno so enjoyed the competition and exposure that he considered not returning to the sports world.
In addition to the dancing, Ohno also signed with Brillstein-Grey Entertainment to pursue activities outside the sports world. In the future, Ohno wants to pursue acting in television or movies, along with philanthropy.
He considered retiring after the “perfect race,” but decided an opportunity to skate in Vancouver was too difficult to pass up. In Vancouver, Ohno has a chance to break Heiden’s record for most medals won by an American man in the Winter Olympics.
