Apolo Anton Ohno did not come to Vancouver looking to break any records. He just wanted to win some more medals. Gold ones. Silver ones. Even bronze ones.
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Ohno ready to add to medal haul
- February 21, 2010 7:17 PM |
- By Michael Traikos
Story provided by
Apolo Anton Ohno did not come to Vancouver looking to break any records. He just wanted to win some more medals. Gold ones. Silver ones. Even bronze ones.
He will take them all if he could. So far, he has taken two. And he is just getting started.
The native of nearby Seattle, who has had nearly as many fans at the Pacific Coliseum as the Canadians during these Olympics, finished third in the 1,000 metres on Saturday to win a bronze medal. Having already won a silver medal in the 1,500 metres last week, the short-track speed skater now has a combined seven medals in three Winter Games.
With two gold, two silver and three bronze medals, Ohno surpassed long track speed skater Bonnie Blair (five gold medals and one bronze) as the most decorated winter Olympian in U.S. history. But with two more events to go, he could extend his lead.
"It means a lot to me," Ohno said. "I think in a sport like this, there's not a lot of athletes I think who come back in back-to-back Olympic games and medal. Very, very few. For me to be able to do it in three games, I'm very happy."
Said Canada's Charles Hamelin, who finished one spot behind Ohno on Saturday: "To have this medal just proves that he's at the top in short trackers in the world. It's a great achievement."
Ohno was out of the medal hunt with two laps remaining in last night's race when he made a push for a spot on the podium. Moving around Charles Hamelin's younger brother François and into second place, the 27-year-old said he felt like "the race was mine." But after a minor slip, he fell back behind and saw the race get away from him.
"I lost all my speed again and saw everybody fly by me," Ohno said. "I thought, 'Oh boy, there's not a lot of time left and I have to kind of crank it up.' I was able to fight hard and come back -- regroup mentally -- and I was very happy to win a bronze medal. Number seven."
Indeed, Ohno finished behind Korea's Lee Jung-Su -- who won his second consecutive gold -- and Lee Ho-Suk in third place. Though he needs a gold medal to complete his 2010 set, he understands what he has already managed is a rarity.
"I think to win one medal is a huge accomplishment for any athlete," said Ohno, who had the Olympics' all-time most decorated athlete -- Michael Phelps -- cheering him on in the crowd on Saturday. "And those who have fought so hard to be here competing and represent their country is a major accomplishment. So, for me, to be here again and to make another final and coming back the way I did, I was happy. Very happy."
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
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