Apolo's Competition

[susie]

Guest said:

Was that your first race to go to, Susie? It sounds so wonderful to have been there -- just watching the film in a 3x3 box on my computer screen is MARVELOUS! And muchas gracias to whomever put that on the 'net at Vimeo! I know I should register and thank them but, well, I guess I'm too shy, lol. I hope and pray somebody does that for his races this year.

And Malone does seem to be challenging Apolo, you're right! Seems like he has a lot of steam left very late in the races, like Apolo, so when the other guys are running on empty, there's little Jordan flaring his jets or whatever (oft-times he's slamming into somebody or whatever but at least he's giving it every thing he's got - and that's alot!) What heart!

I've been meaning to look him up, but he looks shorter and thinner than Apolo (at least before Apolo's planned new makeover -- and the other guys just look big and slow, lol. Lobello looks huge standing by the others. Sounds like it's gonna be an exciting year. I just hope so hard that both Apolo and Jordan can stay healthy (and Jordan can stay out of the hospital.)

Let's hope that all of the skaters stay healthy. I agree with you that Jordan has a lot of heart. I see that the US Olympic Team site has him listed at 5'6" and 135 lbs. Apolo is 5'8" and I know that his trainer John wants him at 145 lbs. What I want to know is where do they put all that muscle? 145 seems so light to me, I think that Apolo will look really thin at that weight.

[VDQW4R7]

susie said:

Guest said:

Was that your first race to go to, Susie? It sounds so wonderful to have been there -- just watching the film in a 3x3 box on my computer screen is MARVELOUS! And muchas gracias to whomever put that on the 'net at Vimeo! I know I should register and thank them but, well, I guess I'm too shy, lol. I hope and pray somebody does that for his races this year.

And Malone does seem to be challenging Apolo, you're right! Seems like he has a lot of steam left very late in the races, like Apolo, so when the other guys are running on empty, there's little Jordan flaring his jets or whatever (oft-times he's slamming into somebody or whatever but at least he's giving it every thing he's got - and that's alot!) What heart!

I've been meaning to look him up, but he looks shorter and thinner than Apolo (at least before Apolo's planned new makeover -- and the other guys just look big and slow, lol. Lobello looks huge standing by the others. Sounds like it's gonna be an exciting year. I just hope so hard that both Apolo and Jordan can stay healthy (and Jordan can stay out of the hospital.)

Let's hope that all of the skaters stay healthy. I agree with you that Jordan has a lot of heart. I see that the US Olympic Team site has him listed at 5'6" and 135 lbs. Apolo is 5'8" and I know that his trainer John wants him at 145 lbs. What I want to know is where do they put all that muscle? 145 seems so light to me, I think that Apolo will look really thin at that weight.

Oh absolutely. I don't want ANYbody to get hurt. Not even any of those adorable Canadian (and even Korean) skaters. Short-track can be so dangerous. Just reading about Jordan's injuries makes me cringe.

And that Australian guy who won the gold when Ahn pulled Apolo down - Stephen Bradbury I think? He broke his neck in two places skating short track - had to wear a halo brace that's like screwed on nailed into your head! And he also got cut and lost more than half his blood volume and nearly died from that. Like 100+ stitches I believe.

I think he said something like he thought his gold medal was for all that he went through all those years - not just that one unfortunate race. And he was Apolo's pal and had made skates for him, so maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Didn't Apolo say that if HE couldn't win the race, he was glad that guy did, "since he was so far back." ROTFL

[bella crusin through]

susie said:

Guest said:

Was that your first race to go to, Susie? It sounds so wonderful to have been there -- just watching the film in a 3x3 box on my computer screen is MARVELOUS! And muchas gracias to whomever put that on the 'net at Vimeo! I know I should register and thank them but, well, I guess I'm too shy, lol. I hope and pray somebody does that for his races this year.

And Malone does seem to be challenging Apolo, you're right! Seems like he has a lot of steam left very late in the races, like Apolo, so when the other guys are running on empty, there's little Jordan flaring his jets or whatever (oft-times he's slamming into somebody or whatever but at least he's giving it every thing he's got - and that's alot!) What heart!

I've been meaning to look him up, but he looks shorter and thinner than Apolo (at least before Apolo's planned new makeover -- and the other guys just look big and slow, lol. Lobello looks huge standing by the others. Sounds like it's gonna be an exciting year. I just hope so hard that both Apolo and Jordan can stay healthy (and Jordan can stay out of the hospital.)

Let's hope that all of the skaters stay healthy. I agree with you that Jordan has a lot of heart. I see that the US Olympic Team site has him listed at 5'6" and 135 lbs. Apolo is 5'8" and I know that his trainer John wants him at 145 lbs. What I want to know is where do they put all that muscle? 145 seems so light to me, I think that Apolo will look really thin at that weight.

145??!!!?? That's bananacakes! His thighs alone weigh that much!!!!

[tdav]

You know that Apolo and Eric Heiden are the only people to have five Olympic medals. Well, I was researching him and this guy must have been really, really good...maybe even better than Apolo and Ahn. All of his medals were gold, he won all of them in one Olympics (1980), and out of the six gold medals the US won, Heiden won five of them (in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10000m). That's crazy!

[elsa]

But Eric Heiden didn't do short track which is much harder to excel at because of team skating and so many factors that are OUT of your control -- crazy young skaters taking crazy chances - Ahn actually tackled Apolo when he was about to win the 1500 in 2002! Nobody tackles regular speedskaters, lol, like Eric Heiden. You race against the clock, so if you're the fastest, you win. In short track, not necessarily, esp. if there are two or more members of an Asian country's team working together to prevent you from winning.

Not that Eric Heiden wasn't fabulous, mind you!

[tdav]

I didn't know if he did longtrack or short track...never mind, I'm so dumb. Of course it had to of been regular speedskating because short track didn't enter the medal discipline until the 1992 Olympic games and Eric Heiden competed in the 1980 Olympics. Duh! How did I miss that...scratch everthing. I feel stupid now.

[elsa]

tdavis said:

I didn't know if he did longtrack or short track...never mind, I'm so dumb. Of course it had to of been regular speedskating because short track didn't enter the medal discipline until the 1992 Olympic games and Eric Heiden competed in the 1980 Olympics. Duh! How did I miss that...scratch everthing. I feel stupid now.

Oh no !! You shouldn't feel bad -- it's CONFUSING! And what Eric did was amazing - it was just like a whole different sport, like cross-country skiing compared to ski-jumping, you know, apples and oranges.

[tdav]

This is off-topic, but I just have to get it out. I'm laughing my head off right now. I was watching some of Apolo's races on youTube, mostly Torino ones. And I was reading the comments and the things those Koreans say about him just crack me up...some of them are really, really terrible. It also ticks me off because they keep saying he cheated (2002 1500m) but I just laugh it off because they're Korean and he's American so it doesn't suprise me. They better be glad I don't have a youTube account or...

Okay, calm down.

[claire522]

tdavis said:

This is off-topic, but I just have to get it out. I'm laughing my head off right now. I was watching some of Apolo's races on youTube, mostly Torino ones. And I was reading the comments and the things those Koreans say about him just crack me up...some of them are really, really terrible. It also ticks me off because they keep saying he cheated (2002 1500m) but I just laugh it off because they're Korean and he's American so it doesn't suprise me. They better be glad I don't have a youTube account or...

Okay, calm down.

omg tdavis, you're funny!

i read those comments by the koreans before when i was just a new fan and don't know anything about him except that he was a dancer at DWTS. lol. and i was kinda like... how did he cheat? because if i remember right, in that video where they posted some comments, it was clear that he won. so i thought they must be talking about another race. that's when i started researching about him and his sport.

[Guest2]

Claire, the Koreans (and Chinese) are team skaters. Good grief, Meng Weng or whatever her name is, a star Chinese short-tracker, PUBLICLY complained that her team wasn't team-skating as well as they should or she would have done better! She practically used those words (but not quite.)

So Apolo's biggest problem, I would guess, is coping, now that they let three skaters from each country into events, which was a ridiculous change (it used to be only two) and apparently, a change made to PROMOTE team skating. I can only assume that the Asian teams figured out how to exert pressure behind the scenes to get that change made (I think in '04?)

So Apolo's problems got magnified! There's a race after which he start flapping his arms (like a bird) and his coach thing, Jang I think, explained that he was demonstrating what one of the skaters had been doing - keeping his arms way out to prevent anyone from passing.

Anyway, Apolo threw up his hands when the Korean Kim Dong-Sung jutted in front of him - and the Koreans went ballistic, saying his "Hollywood" move was "cheating" because it drew attention to the impeding which might not have been noticed otherwise? In any case, AHN himself has said that he realizes it was a legal "tactic" and not cheating. And was it even a tactic or just a reaction... Apolo has a very hard time dealing with the "tactics" on the other side which are clearly illegal -- and I think AHN is very aware of that now because he's accused his own team of "team skating" against HIM (Ahn).

Well, quick word because I *love* this thread and wanted to bump it up -- soon they'll be racing in Midland (Sept something I think) and J. R. CELSKI is already on the roster.

He's only about 16, has been out a year because of injuries, but when he was racing before, he was compared to Apolo as to his level of talent. And I think I heard that Jordan Malone is healthy and ready to come back -- he sent an email to Apolo during dwts asking him to please not retire because they (Jordan and Apolo) could challenge each other! In the 2005 National Champions, Jordan passed Apolo (tangling elbows or something which got him DQ'd) in the 1500 I think -- and he got close another time I think.

This could be quite a season if there were TWO guys who were getting closer to Apolo's level. Apolo has complained that national competitions don't do ANYTHING to help him get ready for international competition -- and nowadays, the federation (or whatever it's called) is making the skaters do MORE domestic trials and races in order to qualify for world comp -- so having some decent competition would help Apolo a lot.

PLUS, if he could get some other Americans in these finals in the international competitions, it could help him ENORMOUSLY on the team-skating front, if for no other reason, keeping Asian countries from getting 3 skaters in a final (if they do that, it would be soooo hard for Apolo to deal with because the 3 would make a plan and one of them would just dedicate the race to knocking Apolo down or something - and it's possible they'd do that with 2 skaters - and with 2, they could definitely work together to block him, sort of like Ahn and Lee did in the 1000m in Torino.)

I've gone on too long - but I hope this thread picks up. I'm so EXCITED about the short track season getting closer!

[tynormem]

This could be quite a season if there were TWO guys who were getting closer to Apolo's level. Apolo has complained that national competitions don't do ANYTHING to help him get ready for international competition -- and nowadays, the federation (or whatever it's called) is making the skaters do MORE domestic trials and races in order to qualify for world comp -- so having some decent competition would help Apolo a lot.

This is great to read, Guest 2! I have been hoping for more stand out American Speed Skaters so to potentially have 2 this season would not only help Apolo, but hopefully spark some interest in the sport. If nothing else happens from this than getting Apolo some competition at the National level that is enough, but imagine if the US could have an opportunity to team skate with the Asians.

Definitely some food for thought.

I am liking this thread- a lot.

[Guest2]

Thanks, tynorman. Here's a really cool interview Apolo did in '04 (I think with OZ), and I really love the last paragraph where he comments about the Chinese girls, saying he's sure glad he doesn't have to race against them because "those girls are so fast!!" Oh and he comments on what he thinks about fans online (question in bold) and at the competitions.

Q: It seems like the Koreans perfected team skating last season. Did it seem that way to you too?

Oh yeah, I think they improved a great deal on their team skating. It’s just crazy to me that the whole world knows they team skate but the referees are still like, ‘Nothing’s going on.’ But again, that’s out of my control. I’m not really looking for a call. I’m looking to break that chain.

It’s a very, very hard challenge because you really have to be so much stronger and faster when you’re dealing with team skating. But I think I’m one of the few skaters that can contend with those guys, and I really think that if I can improve some of the things from last year and get back in the right mindset, that I can definitely be a threat again. I thought that at Worlds they were so focused on – not even, ‘What happens if Apolo gets to the final?’ – but more, ‘If he doesn’t get to the final, then we don’t have to worry about him.’ It’s very difficult, but hopefully I can improve.

Q: What can you do to make it tougher for them to get away with team skating?

Physical conditioning, obviously, is big. Mental conditioning – I have to be tough, I have to be solid as a rock. Maybe I wasn’t as solid as I usually feel like I am, last season. I have a lot of improvements I want to make, and that’s a good thing. I thought I skated some really good competitions last year, and I still did pretty well*, considering some guys were having the best seasons of their careers. *Note: Apolo indeed did pretty well, finishing the 2003-04 season ranked third in the world.

Q: At the end of the World Championships in March, you mentioned that a lot of changes were in store before next season. What did you have in mind?

I’m still learning about myself, my physical potential, my mental potential, I’m still growing. I’m only 22 years old. Every year, I get done with a competition and I try to improve for the next season. A lot of the athletes last year improved a great deal. Many countries did, too. So I think the sport itself is rising, in terms of depth. Hopefully I can step that up as well.

This season I’m really focused on myself and my goals. I’m really not going to get involved in any of the petty little things that I was involved in last year, because it really got me nowhere. I was fighting for things that I thought were right, and it was important to do at the time. But this season, it’s starting to get closer to the Games, and I need to concentrate on the specific goals at hand.

This is my dream, and I love skating so much. I love it so much. I’m already in a healthier state of mind. I have a little more confidence, which is kind of funny, coming off of last season, but it’s okay. I’m watching ‘The Lance Chronicles’, getting pumped up.

Q: What would you change about the sport if you could?

In terms of team skating, it’s starting to get dangerous. The protective gear and obviously, how the competitions are run – [they need to be] a little more consistent.
The sport has grown from what it used to be in the mid-90s to late 90s. It’s even grown from 2002. I just want to see changes made to the sport to make it better, to make the sport more enjoyable, make it safer. The speed is going to go up, no matter how small they make the rink, what they’re trying to do with the blades. Guys are going to keep going faster and faster. Hopefully they can start implementing some of those padding systems* – that’s going to help out a lot. *Note: The Calgary Olympic Oval has a unique system of crash pads that move upon impact, breaking a skater's crash, as opposed to the more usual rigid pads backed by the hard boards of a typical ice rink.

Hopefully with some of the new cut-proof [skinsuits] we’re getting and – it’s unfortunate that some of these good skaters got hurt, but sometimes nobody says anything until people get hurt. Hopefully this is going to [benefit] short track [in the future].

Q: Speaking of making the rink small, there was a proposal sent to the ISU to make the track smaller -- instead of 111 meters it would be reduced to 100m. One of the reasons given was that it would lead to slower speeds around the corners, which would presumably make falls less dangerous. What do you think of this idea?

I don't think that's going to happen. Any time you go down with another skater and they have skates on their feet, I think it’s going to be... dangerous. I think short track [rinks] are small as it is – very small, in terms of the track size. I don’t really know where they want to go with that or how they want to approach it.

Q: One big issue with the U.S. team is lack of depth. What does it take to build that depth in the U.S. program?

[Skaters] have to be taught the correct way from the beginning. I know that for many years the way a lot of skaters were taught is not the right way, and you can see it in the technique and the way they race. It’s very easy to distinguish a skater from Canada or Korea from a U.S. skater when you go down the line. Those guys are just on a different level.

I know that we can improve. If we’re skating as well as we are now, without the knowledge that they have, we can really surpass that. It’s going to take time, and hopefully we’ll get who is passionate and who knows their stuff. That’s what it comes down to. *Note: They've got a great coach now, probably thanks to Apolo -- Jae from Korea along with both Thibault and Daignault from Canada.

Q: As far as you know, is your first competition going to be the fall World Cups?

Yeah, in China. Before every single set of World Cups there is going to be a domestic trials now. I don’t know why they did that, who thought of that idea. It’s a really bad idea. In my opinion, we compete so much as it is anyways. The travel alone is very demanding on our bodies and minds, so I don't believe that we need to be racing domestically because the difference internationally and nationally are like night and day. Hopefully the skaters can have a chance to discuss this with US Speedskating and get some things changed because it doesn't help our international performance.

Q: How do feel about the ISU’s new Olympic qualifying rules?*

I’m still kind of looking it over. I haven’t really made my decision on it yet, on what I think is going to be right or wrong. I’m not sure yet, to be honest with you. Hopefully this will be better, but I know there’s gonna be [potentially] three skaters [from one country competing in individual distances], so that is going to make it different, because before it was only two, so [concerns] about team skating [weren’t as strong]. But now this is a whole new thing in the mix.

*Note: The ISU Congress of June 2004 decided that 'qualification for the Olympic Games in Short Track will be through results of two World Cups held in Europe during the season of 2005/06. A country may qualify up to three skaters in each distance (must have three skaters in the top 8 in that distance in overall classification for the two World Cups to do this); the number of skaters from each country for each distance is based on that distance's results.' Previously, a special Olympic qualifying event was held, and no country could qualify more than two skaters in each distance.

Q: Do you know why they decided to change that rule?
I don’t know why. I’d like to know!

Q: Do you ever visit your fan sites online, or is it too weird?

Well, it is weird, ‘cause they’re talking about me! You know, it’s a little weird. Honestly, I’m really busy. But sometimes, you know if somebody tells me to go somewhere, or somebody sends me a link, I’ll go check it out, sure. Sure. I mean, that’s why short track is so popular with a lot of people, is because we have strong fans. I’ve always said, the fans are the best in short track.

Q: How do you feel about the fan support now? What would you like to see more of, less of?
I think the fans are doing a great job. Hopefully we can bring more excitement to the sport, bring our championships to bigger, better venues, host these big events [the way] they should be. I think that will attract a lot more fans and the fans will have a good time as well.

Q: What do you think about gambling on the races in Vegas?
[Feigns surprise] Oh, there is going to be gambling? Of course . That’s a good thing. Short track is similar to horse racing, but it’s not, because it’s real, human, live people racing against each other. Hopefully [gambling] will bring more attention to the sport, and I think it will. I think it will.

Q: What's the best thing about having fans at competitions?

It's the support. It's the fact that we know we have people that are supporting us and supporting... the way I compete, I go to a foreign country, and you guys show up. The feeling that I get is pure energy!

It really... it makes me feel like... it's almost like having a team, that supports your team. You go some place where you feel uncomfortable, but then you see these people, these familiar faces, that want you to do well, and they're there because they love the sport, and that's awesome. It's really cool.

Q: If you could change one thing about your life today, what would it be?
Change? I don’t think I’d change anything, no. I never want to change anything, because everything that happens happens for a reason. Either I learn from it, or it makes me the person I am today. Everything that happens – good, bad – it all happens for a reason. Whether you can see that in the light right now, or five years from now, you can always look back and say, ‘Wow, you know, maybe that happened because, look where I am today.’ I look at my life as something that I just enjoy. Sure, we all get mad, angry, sad… but that’s the way it is. I’m just having a good time.

Q: Have you seen any good movies lately?
I saw ‘The Last Samurai.’ I really like that movie. I don’t know why. That’s the last one I’ve really seen.
Q: What's your favorite city/country to compete in?
I love competing in Japan.
Q: Is that because of your family connections?
I think so. It feels good when I go there. It just feels really good when I go there.
Have your grandparents seen you compete there?
My uncle has seen me compete. My grandparents, no.

Q: Out of all the active skaters today, pick your dream relay team. (You can't be on it.)
I pick the Dream Team? Five guys or four guys? Okay. Out of all active skaters, you said?

Q: Yes. If you have to throw in someone who’s not skating anymore, like Marc, you can do that. But just one!
Oh, I can do that? Okay, we’ll use Marc [Gagnon], Jonathan Guilmette, Hyun-soo Ahn, and Li Jiajun. That’s like a 6:06 [5000m relay time] right there. Or that’s like a 4:24 in the 3000m. [laughs] Those are very sarcastic numbers, but with those strong skaters new world records would be easy!

Q: How about for women? Same rules apply.
Let me see here. For women, [Eun-kyung] Choi, Yang Yang A, [Chun-sa] Byun, and Meng Wang. That would be real crazy. I don’t think I’d like to race them! From what I saw of Meng Wang in the 500 meters in Italy, go 8.8 or 8.9, with both arms on her back in the 500 final, I was really happy I didn't make that race! I was really happy that I did not have to race against those girls! Those girls, they’re so fast!

[Guest2]

Hopefully with some of the new cut-proof [skinsuits] we’re getting and – it’s unfortunate that some of these good skaters got hurt, but sometimes nobody says anything until people get hurt. Hopefully this is going to [benefit] short track [in the future].

I did some editing because that was a much longer interview, and I realized this paragraph didn't make sense where I put it -- he was addressing the problems they had at Worlds that year in Sweden, where some skaters got hurt (I guess because the facilities were so bad? susie probably knows the story

That's the only paragraph I moved from one section to another -- the rest is in the order it originally was -- I just left out some questions, especially questions that pertained only to that particular year (2004) like how are you gonna prepare for the Olympics in '06 and such.

[Lindsey]

Wow--that was really interesting, Guest2. I think I'd read parts of that before--or read it a long time ago. I really liked his insight on the team-skating thing, and also on the measures ST is taking to protect the skaters. I don't want anything to happen to our boy while skating! (or any other skater, for that matter). As much as I like the danger and nail-biting-ness *not a word, i know* of this sport, I really truly don't want any serious injuries for anyone!

I'm also loving the part where he talks about visiting fan sites. Lol. Do you think Apolo would laugh or be weirded out by our Naked thread? lol. Okay, off topic. It just struck me as funny!

[epiphaniii]

Thank you for posting this, Guest2! Like Lindsey, I'd read it before, but that was a while ago. It was just as interesting to me this time around. You really get a sense of how large a role his intelligence and maturity play in his success in the sport.

He is discussing some important things here, but these parts I bolded made me laugh:

Q: Do you know why they decided to change that rule?
I don’t know why. I’d like to know!

Q: Have you seen any good movies lately?
I saw ‘The Last Samurai.’ I really like that movie. I don’t know why. That’s the last one I’ve really seen.

He's adorable. It's funny how the simplest things seem cute to me coming from him.