By Michele Deppe

 

Apolo Anton Ohno was America’s favorite son during the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City. The 19-year-old short track speed skater from Seattle whooshed onto the ice, sporting a megawatt smile, a magnificent mane, and a hip soul patch. He rocked history with two amazing performances, bringing home some bling to complete his look: two medals, one gold and one silver. This year, fans hope that Apolo Ohno can do it all over again.

Few speed-skating fans are likely to forget “The Big Spill” at the 2002 Games. The mob of skaters was going for gold in the 1,000-meter, circling the ice on knife-thin blades at speeds of 40 miles per hour. Ohno was leading, despite having the flu. Coming into the last turn, both skaters on either side of U.S.A.’s Ohno suddenly tried to pass him. On the outside was China’s skater, arms flailing. On the inside was South Korea’s, desperately grasping for position, even though he didn’t have enough speed to make the pass.

China fell, and South Korea went down too, grabbing Ohno’s leg on the way and sending him sliding on his back like a hockey puck. Ohno finally stopped, whacking the wall with his head. The trio had collected most of the pack as they careened across the ice.

With the survival instinct of a cat, Ohno somehow found his skates, but gashed his thigh on one of his blades while getting up. Ignoring his bleeding wound, he sprinted toward the finish line and snagged the silver medal for the United States.

Four days later Ohno had six fresh stitches in his thigh and hobbled on crutches to the preliminary race for the 1,500 meters. Doing his best to generate speed but keep the stitches together, he managed to qualify for the 1,500-meter race.

Like the 1,000-meter event, danger and controversy ruled the 1,500-meter one. Ohno’s opponent from South Korea illegally blocked him on the final lap of the race, forcing Ohno to slow down and stay behind or risk another fall. The refs noted the South Korean’s cheating maneuver. He was disqualified. Ohno received the gold medal that he was entitled to as the fastest skater on the ice. Despite Ohno’s obvious speed and skill, some Koreans feel that Ohno personally robbed them of their victory.

Obviously, not everyone appreciates Ohno’s commitment to excellence. After receiving threats, Ohno and his team withdrew from a competition in Korea. However, Ohno chooses to ignore hatred from the opposition. He’s not about getting mad, or getting even; instead, he dedicates himself to getting better.

 “I’ve really been focusing on getting ready for the 2006 Games in Italy,” Ohno says. Refusing to revel in past glory, he is all about now. Leaving his old routine behind, Ohno has embraced interval training, adding short bursts of heavy weight lifting into his cardiac routine, to gain more brute strength.

The 23-year-old is leaner than ever before, not at all resembling “Chunky,” his nickname from childhood. Ohno excelled in swimming and in-line skating before he took up short track for “something different.” At age 14 he left home to train at the U.S. Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York. Leaving friends, family, and home was a painful experience, but by 16 he was the youngest ever, and the first American, to become the short track World Cup overall champion, a title he’s claimed two more times. In 2005 he collected 23 individual World Cup medals. He’s been the United States overall short-track champion seven times. Ohno’s father, Yuki, who came to America from Japan, was the first to give his son a title. In Greek “apo” means “steering away from” and “lo” means “look out,” which together means “look out; here he comes!”

After his triumphal, if controversial, Olympic success, Ohno experienced the kind of fame bestowed on winning Olympians. He did the morning news programs and the talk show circuit, chatting with the likes of Jay Leno and Rosie O’Donnell. Ohno was Elton John’s guest at an Oscar party, and he posed for pictures with famous faces such as Erika Christensen, Harrison Ford, and the Osbournes. Embarrassed by screaming girls, he performed a break dance on MTV’s TRL. He was named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” All of the attention brought a barrage of sponsor offers and enticing opportunities, many of which Ohno has passed over because they weren’t “right.”

Dubbing him the “Commissioner of Cool,” the press tried to give Apolo Ohno a bad-boy image, but it hasn’t stuck. Simply, that isn’t his true character. Despite the media’s tendency to tint Ohno a nasty shade of brash, he maintains an astonishingly humble hue.

Ohno lives modestly at the Olympic training center, where he occupies a dormlike living space. Instead of cultivating his image and chasing cash, he’s committed to the real-life pursuits of training, learning, competing, and nurturing personal relationships.

“The best thing about being successful is that my dad is able to come to more competitions. He loves to travel, and I love having him there for support,” says Ohno, whose only extravagance—besides driving a decent car—has been to buy his dad a new home.

Ohno says, “I am enjoying life, and getting to know people. But, like, especially in dating, the person that I am in a relationship with has to understand that, right now, skating comes first. I’ve been lucky enough to have relationships with people who understand that, but it’s definitely a challenge.”

And, like everybody else, Ohno has other responsibilities besides working out. “There’s actually a requirement for Olympians to have a job, or maintain a 2.9 GPA in college,” says Ohno, who is studying for a business degree. “It’s a lot of work to travel, train up to three times a day, and make time for classes, too.” 

It sounds kind of over the top, but Ohno’s attitude about life and sports can be described as noble. He’s grateful for every little thing. He gives 110 percent. He has turned down lots of lucrative offers because he wants to be careful about each decision that shapes his life, and he won’t sell his integrity. Mostly, he strives to be a good role model for kids.

“I hope to encourage kids to get into sports,” says Ohno, who has done antidrug commercials and was part of the VERB campaign. “I grew up in the city, in Seattle, and my dad saw potential in me to get into trouble with gangs and drugs. He helped me channel my energy into positive things. People need those kinds of healthy alternatives. I am a big believer in the strength of family, community, and trying to be a good person.”

Ohno has little respect for athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs. “I want to be my best naturally, and if I won a race because of drugs, there would be no gratification in it for me. I believe that you’ll improve, and get a lot more strength and skill from good training, than if you try to beat the system by taking something.

“I try to just be real, and I’ve been really blessed so far,” Ohno says. “So I just keep looking up and hope for the best.”