Apolo articles

[angelina]

Thanks for all the great articles, gals! And especially those older ones, #1fan. What gems!

[Lori]

'Ever wonder where that gorgeous photo came from???

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Seven Olympic athletes. Intense training regimens. Physiques built for one goal.

THE BODY REDEFINED
Author: Bill Briggs
Denver Post Staff Writer reporting from Colorado Springs


As grandmothers count out quiet reps in the fluorescent glow of a YMCA weight room, a 160-pound blur in a red bandanna shreds their midmorning stillness.

To the other exercisers, Apolo Ohno may seem downright frantic, glaring at a stopwatch that dangles from his neck while bounding from leg machine to leg machine to yank the weight stacks with a growing sneer.

But the gold-medal speed skater is merely priming his quads - just one muscle group during one workout, all surrounded by another long week of face-scrunching pain.

"I'm trying to see how much my body can handle without basically giving out," Ohno says. "I need something different for the (Turin) Games. I need something that's going to take me over the top. Some of these young Asians and these Canadian guys are so strong. Our sport has just evolved. Either I evolve or I might as well hang 'em up."

On second thought, Ohno is frantic.

"The wild thing about these athletes is they are definitely a species of their own," says Ohno's personal trainer, John Schaeffer. "Most people just don't have a clue what it takes to be at this level."

What it takes to have the cinderblock-thick thighs of Ohno, the jagged abs of wrestler Tina George or the ropy biceps of sled hockey player Bruce Nelson is simple: a six-day-a-week (often twice a day) gym habit that spans years and always comes before work, family and fun. Brief vacations from the rugged regimen may be taken once a year. Maybe.

To sample the physical commitment needed to chase gold, The Denver Post asked seven Olympic hopefuls to reveal how they each train a single body part, one clump of muscles vital to their sport. Quadriceps on a speed skater. Hamstrings on a taekwondo fighter. Calves on a triathlete. Above the waist, gymnasts lean on sturdy shoulders, wrestlers tumble best with tight abs, sled hockey players rely on buff biceps and weightlifters bank on stout backs.

If you tally one day of weightlifting for those seven athletes - one session devoted to strengthening that lone body part - their reps and sets would reach about 92,000 pounds. That's the equivalent of a Federal Express 727 jet.

"An obsession"

We're way ahead of you here. You're wondering: Is it possible to somehow squash those seven workouts into a super-Olympic, full-body routine that can be done in a single visit to the gym? That's a big fat no. Human physical limits aside, there just aren't enough available hours. Triathlete Hunter Kemper divides his days between back roads, bike seats and swimming pools - then he hits the gym. And Steven Lopez's taekwondo workouts alone eat four hours each day.

"I'm a full-time athlete," says Lopez, who won gold in 2000 at the Sydney Games and again last summer in Athens. "I have no offseason. It's not like football where they say, 'We're done with the season, now let's go eat what we want!' Even though the Olympics is every four years, for me it's every day.

"I wouldn't change anything for the world, everything I've sacrificed, everything my family and friends have sacrificed for me," Lopez adds. "It takes a lot of dedication. It's almost an obsession."

The seven routines come with their own unique wrinkles and their own lingo. They roll through sets of "Fondas," "Good mornings," "Rockys" or "Striders."

Some want to bulk up. Some want to stay lean. Some swear by sports science. Some just want to sweat.

Nelson, for one, doesn't hit the gym armed with colored charts displaying last week's personal bests, as some Olympians do.

"I pretty much go by how I feel, just go with what my body's telling me," says Nelson, who picked up sled hockey after his legs were paralyzed in a 2003 motorcycle accident.

In his Paralympic sport, biceps are part of the upper-body engine that churns the sled forward. He also uses that muscle to shoot, pass and battle for position in the corners.

He must balance letting his arms heal after a game with boosting his strength.

"If my body hurts a little bit and I feel like it would be a better day to do less reps and a lighter workout, that's pretty much what I do," Nelson says. "But then again, if I'm feeling good, I'll strap it on and see what I can throw up there."

Pushing the limits

Ohno is far more precise.

After bagging three world titles and two Olympic medals between the ages of 19 and 22, Ohno scrapped his old routine and hired Schaeffer, a Pennsylvania-based strength-and-conditioning coach. Schaeffer helped wean Ohno from long jogs and rep counting, and instead outfitted him with a notebook of exercises divided into seasonal phases that emphasize timed snippets of lifting sessions to rev Ohno's heart rate for two or three minutes before letting it drop again.

Ohno latched onto "interval training" like a new religion.

"When I first went to see this guy for my training, I thought he was psychotic," Ohno says. "I've never trained this hard in my entire life in the weight room. Never. Not even close.

"A month into it, my body started to get used to it. I just started to adapt. That's when I noticed the differences. I feel light. I'm leaner," he says. "I don't miss the extra weight.

"Some of these Korean kids don't even lift weights but they're so strong, training since they were 2 years old. If they weigh 120 pounds and I weigh 160 pounds, I have to be 40 pounds stronger."

[Lori]

One Olympian Hopes a Return to 'Nothing' Will Bring a Return to Glory
By LYNN ZINSER, Published: June 21, 2005

Apolo Anton Ohno plopped himself down at a table and blended comfortably into his surroundings, a place so institutional you could mistake it for a high school cafeteria, except that detailed nutrition labels hang over the food and the tray-wielding customers are actually reading the labels.
For nearly eight years, Ohno has called the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs his second home. He sleeps in a small dorm room upstairs, the same one he occupied before he became an Olympic icon in 2002. Outside the plate-glass windows lies everything a 23-year-old short-track speedskating superstar needs, an athletic infrastructure at his fingertips.
"The people who work here in the cafeteria, the people in sports medicine, they're like my second family," Ohno said last month, punctuating his conversation with swigs from an oversized water bottle. "This is like being in my house. I can just come downstairs, have some eggs in the morning. It's nice."
During a quiet spring stretch at the training center, no one looks twice at the famous face with the signature soul patch living in their midst. Three years ago, after winning gold and silver medals in the Salt Lake Olympics, Ohno was vaulted into that rare, and fleeting, level of stardom reserved for Olympians with good looks, charisma and a great story.
So he found himself being jetted to Los Angeles for the "Tonight" show. He shook hands and posed for pictures at Oscar parties. He rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
For a 19-year-old, that was a bigger test than any of his Olympic races. First, he had to decide whether to chase another round of glory in 2006, a decision he said took only about a month. Then he had to figure out how to stay focused and hungry enough to accomplish it.
"I didn't want to change too many things," he said. "Because this is what brought me my success, my hunger, my drive, basically living off of nothing, which is what I had here. When you have that kind of energy, that kind of drive, that kind of success, there's nothing that can stop you.
"So, it's back here as usual."
The decision surprised more than a few people, and delighted many, including US Speedskating and the United States Olympic Committee, which relish his success and star power, especially with another Winter Games looming in eight months. Happiest of all might have been his father, Yuki Ohno, who reared Apolo by himself in their hometown, Seattle, and who once had to persuade his son to pour his abundant energy into something positive like skating.
"The U.S. Olympic complex gives him a sort of shield," Yuki Ohno said in a telephone interview. "Him being such a visible individual, he could easily be in a disruptive environment. He doesn't have to worry about his security and other things. It's very comfortable just to be able to go back to your room."
About the only thing that qualifies as luxurious at the Olympic Training Center is Ohno's Lexus, parked in a fenced lot amid a sea of Toyotas and Chevys. The training center is an odd mix of old military buildings - the U.S.O.C. bought the former Ent Air Force Base from the government for a dollar in 1978 - and newer concrete-box buildings containing state-of-the-art training and sports-medicine facilities.
Into this architectural mishmash drop many American Olympic hopefuls. Most come for short visits, for training camps or for activities arranged by their particular sport's governing body. Some come to confer with doctors or trainers. Only a handful live here semi-permanently.
Ohno has watched the Olympic seasons ebb and flow in Colorado Springs since 1997. He describes how the intensity ratchets up as the Games near, something he enjoys even when it is a summer Games he has nothing to do with.
"There's no better sense of energy," he said. "People who are into energy should come here. It's almost like heat. Sometimes I go watch practices of the other teams just to see the intensity."
Colorado Springs itself is a sleepy city of 370,000 with little nightlife and an altitude of 6,300 feet, a combination that agrees with Ohno. He and his coaches said he was probably in the best shape of his life. He is coming off a season in which he won the overall World Cup title, his first, despite skipping a race in South Korea because of death threats.
In fact, the biggest obstacle to another round of Olympic stardom for Ohno may just be the hatred he spawned among the Koreans in 2002.
That stemmed from Ohno's gold-medal victory in the 1,500 meters, awarded to him when officials disqualified the apparent winner, Kim Dong Sung of South Korea, saying he had interfered with Ohno. That came days after a Chinese skater caused a pileup in the 1,000 meters, costing Kim another medal, and Ohno had somehow stayed upright and flung himself across the finish line for a silver. But it was Ohno who drew the Koreans' ire, and he still does.
Ohno knows that part of the race strategy of the South Korean team is to take him out in races if it can, and in the rough-and-tumble world of short track, with collisions the norm, that is a constant danger.
But Ohno said he relished the challenge. He has become known for his resilience; opposing skaters call him among the toughest in the world to pass.
"If I'm in a race, I know they're scared, I can feel it," Ohno said. "This is why the Koreans team-skate and play these games in races. When they race me one on one, I don't think the playing field is even."
Part of what Ohno loves about short track is the thrill, the idea that his life's work rides on a metal edge the width of a knife, and that he gets one sliver of time every four years - races that last mere minutes - to show the world what he can do.
In 1998, when Ohno was a wild 16-year-old talent, that burden had proved too much. He skated a terrible race in the Olympic trials, finishing last, and was forced to watch the Nagano Games - in his father's native Japan - on television. That experience made his 2002 success all the more fulfilling, but it also put it in perspective. "He has never lost where he came from," Yuki Ohno said.
So he keeps going home. Cafeteria trays and all.

[linmiste]

Hi, Lori!
Sending your karma for the articles. Thanks!

[number1fan]

We have liftoff -- again
Apolo Ohno is back to prove his big '02 was no fluke
by: Brian Cazeneuve > INSIDE OLYMPIC SPORTS
Posted: Tuesday November 1, 2005 11:48AM;
Updated: Wednesday November 2, 2005 10:35AM

In 2002, Salt Lake City witnessed an Apolo liftoff with the Olympic debut of one of the most aptly named and distinctly sheared characters of the Games.

Apolo Ohno sported a strut and a goatee, and he left with two Olympic medals in short-track speedskating. At 23, Ohno is even better this time around, ready to re-emerge as a star of another Olympics.

Apolo Ohno left Salt Lake City in 2002 with two medals in short-track speedskating.
Al Tielemans/SI

For one, he thoroughly enjoyed the perks that his celebrity offered him after Salt Lake. People chose him as one of its 50 Most Beautiful. GQ and Rolling Stone featured him in photo shoots. Female fans sported fake Ohno-goatees. Kelly Ripa gushed on air that he looked like a rock star.

President Clinton asked for a recommendation on which shoes to wear. President Bush informed him that White House staff had come down with Ohno-Mania. Five Ohno-specific Web sites, including Ohno Zone and Sk8er Boy, tried to outdo each other with behind-the-scenes snapshots, no matter how distant and blurry, from his latest public appearances.

"I went to an Oscar after-party, and I'm kicking it with the Backstreet Boys, asking them, 'So, um, do you guys play sports?'" Ohno said. "I don't think they even realize they're living in a different world."

Still, that celebrity can affect different athletes differently. Instead of losing a physical or mental edge, Ohno seems fired up to earn some more attention.

"I wanted to get back to what I do best," he said last month, "but it isn't because I'm a monk. It's cool to be the best and let people know you're the best."

To that end, Ohno is living in the dorms at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where conditions are perfectly fine for training (free meals, medical facilities, etc.), but the accomodations aren't plush. The results have been wonderful. He won the 1,000 and 3,000 meters at the individual world championships last season and was ranked the world's No. 1 short-track skater for a third time.

Even more important, last month he finally got the Korean albatross off his back. Flash back to the Salt Lake Olympics, when Ohno was in a tightly contested 1,500-meter race with Korea's Kim Dong-Sung.

Kim had a slight lead toward the end of the race, but as Ohno tried to pass on the inside, Kim maintained his ground as Ohno threw back his hands in what some saw as an exaggerated gesture to coax officials into disqualifying Kim for obstruction, which they did.

Ohno was vilified in the Korean press and became a flash point for Korean antipathy towards the United States. When the Korean soccer team scored a goal during a 2002 World Cup match against the U.S., the players celebrated by making speedskating motions that mocked Ohno.

Facing death threats, he skipped out on the world team championships in Korea last year, but decided to compete at a world cup event in Seoul last month. More than 100 police in riot gear greeted him at Incheon Airport and fans jeered his every step. In what smacked of payback, officials disqualified Ohno, to the delight of local fans, for pushing South Korea's Lee Ho-Suk in his first final race at Mokdong Ice Rink.

Afterward, Ohno answered questions graciously, saying he agreed with the officials' decision, expressing sympathy for Kim's bad luck in Salt Lake and praising the passion of the Korean fans and skaters for short track skating. "If you're in short track," he said, "this is the best place in the world. Everybody loves the sport here."

This year, Ohno has continued working in earnest with John Schaeffer, a former kick boxer who trains martial artists and power-lifters. Ohno feels that the extra work has increased his strength-to-weight ratio, kept his body from wearing down over the course of a long World Cup season and has given him greater confidence cutting corners cleanly. For that reason, he has become more adept at avoiding contact, despite his DQ in Korea.

As you may recall, that was a recurring problem for him in Salt Lake City. Ohno was jostling for position on the final lap of the Olympic 1,000-meter final when a collision took out the top three skaters. Steve Bradbury of Australia, who had lagged in fourth place for most of the race, stayed on his skates, caught up to the others and glided past to win the gold medal. Ohno got up and wobbled across the line in second place.

U.S. speedskating officials clearly recognize Ohno's place in the sport and his influence within their program. Before the start of last season, Ohno reacted vehemently when head coach Stephen Gough was let go. He threatened to relocate to Calgary, where his friend and teammate Shani Davis was training with Canadian coach Derrick Campbell, a young, energetic mentor who received high marks from Davis. To placate Ohno, the U.S. federation hired Campbell to be its program manager, with a base in Colorado Springs.

Ohno has become the marquee headliner of short-track speedskating, a sport that would otherwise get lost in the winter Olympic smorgasbord. But he revels in the attention he has earned, and this winter, you can expect him to be in the spotlight again.

[number1fan]

Ohno, Cheek to grace Wheaties boxes
Speedskaters combined for five medals during Turin Winter Olympics
updated 11:37 a.m. PT, Wed., March. 1, 2006

TORINO, Italy - Apolo Anton Ohno and Joey Cheek soon will join millions of Americans for breakfast. Wheaties today announced the release of two new special-edition packages commemorating the speed skaters' outstanding performance on the world stage in Torino.

The 23-year-old Ohno distinguished himself and continued his prolific career achievements by winning gold in the 500 meter, bronze in the 1,000 meter, and rallying his U.S. team to bronze in the 5,000-meter relay. He became only the fourth American athlete to win three medals in a single winter games.

Ohno also won gold and silver medals in Salt Lake City and has finished atop the World Cup rankings in three of the past five seasons. A seven-time U.S. short-track overall champion, he became the youngest American ever to win gold in the World Cup at the age of 17. No American short-track speed skater has won more medals.

Breakfast with champions
March 1: Olympic gold medalists Apolo Anton Ohno and Joey Cheek will be featured on special commemorative Wheaties cereal boxes.
NBC Sports

"Every young athlete strives to one day see himself on the Wheaties box," Ohno said. "For me, this proves that all of the hard work and training has paid off. I remember reading the stories of the great American champions who were on the box when I was growing up, and now it's very gratifying for me to be a part of that same Wheaties tradition."

Cheek has emerged as an elite speed skater. The 26-year-old became the country's first multiple medalist in Torino by taking gold in the 500 meter and silver in the 1000 meter. In addition, he took bronze in the 1000 meter in Salt Lake City, won the 2006 World Sprint Championships, and finished third in the 2005 World Sprint Championships.

But perhaps what distinguishes Cheek most is his single-minded focus on giving something back. He announced last week that he will contribute his $40,000 medal bonus earnings to Right To Play, an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. Cheek's donation will go toward projects in the war-torn Darfur region of the Sudan.

"I've been blessed to have been put in a position to help make a difference for others, and to have the support of my family and friends," Cheek says. "For an athlete, being on the Wheaties box is a quintessential honor. My heroes growing up were Eric Heiden and Michael Johnson; to join them as part of the Wheaties family is more than a dream come true."

Wheaties also announced that it will make a donation to support Right to Play as part of Cheek's package appearance.

The soon-to-be-released 18-ounce packages will be available nationally beginning in the middle of March. The new packages continue Wheaties' storied tradition of honoring great American champions dating back to Johnny Weismuller and Babe Didrickson in the 1930s. Through the years, many of the greatest American athletes have graced the box, including Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe and Lt. Billy Mills. Notable winter sports honorees include Sarah Hughes, Kristi Yamaguchi, Eric Heiden, the 1980 U.S. men's hockey team, and the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team.

"American sports fans witnessed many compelling performances over the past two weeks, but Apolo and Joey really distinguished themselves with their outstanding efforts," said Wheaties Marketing Manager Eric Treschuk.

"All of our athletes performed well, and we applaud their efforts," Treschuk said. "At the same time, we feel Apolo and Joey represent the very best of the championship ideals that have made Wheaties 'The Breakfast of Champions' for 80 years. Their passion, commitment and conduct have inspired us all."

[christi]

Here is an article I found while I was surfing the internet. I don't know if anyone has read it before, but I thought it was interesting. Here is the link if you want to see the picture that go with it: www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kidscoops/story/0,14989,1192528,00.html

Who's News
Math Moves Speed Skating Star
Kid Reporter India Pasiuk talked with Olympic speedskater Apolo Ohno about how math helps him rule the ice
On Wednesday, April 26, Apolo Anton Ohno, Olympic speed skater, whizzed into Washington D.C. Why? To promote MathMovesU and the Hippest Homework Happening. He came to talk to students from Freedom Middle School at Fredericksburg, Virginia about how math can lead to fun and exciting careers like his. I got a chance to talk with Apolo after the press conference.

TFK: How did you become involved with MathMovesU and the Hippest Homework Happening?
Ohno: I partnered with Raytheon to launch the Hippest Homework Happening and MathMovesU.com (and to) show kids how math moves me in my sport, and how math can be fun and exciting. Whether it’s counting laps or speed or distance, just kind of showing kids that math can be cool and fun.

TFK: How do you use math in speed skating?
Ohno: We use it every day. Counting laps, counting speed and distance, calculating angles. A lot of angles are being used in speed skating to see what’s the fastest way to skate. Math is used just about every single day.

TFK: Do you enjoy math?
Ohno: I do. For me I'm one of those guys that has to do math every day for me to be really good at it. Sometimes when I take a break, I start to fade a little bit, but I think math is an important part of every career.

TFK: When did you start speed skating? Why?
Ohno: I started speed skating when I was about twelve years old. I saw it on the Olympics and thought 'Wow, that was a really cool sport.' I saw these guys leaning over on these crazy, crazy angles on just one piece of blade. I thought that was really cool.

TFK: What do you like most about speed skating?
Ohno: The speed! The speed and just racing against other guys. That's a lot of fun!

TFK: How do you feel when you win or medal at an event?
Ohno: When it comes to the Olympics, it's an amazing feeling. There's so much hard work and dedication, a lot of fun too, but also a lot of sacrifice, so it feels really good to know that I was able to come home with something and represent my country well.

TFK: Do you like racing in relays?
Ohno: I like it all. Relays are a lot of fun because I can share that with my teammates. In relays, it doesn't matter how fast I go, how fast this one guy goes. All guys have to go fast. That's really cool.

TFK: What was your favorite part about the Turin Olympics?
Ohno: That's a hard question. I liked the whole experience. The whole month I was there was pretty amazing. Spectacular, fantastic, probably awesome. All of those words, it's hard for me to explain because so much emotion was going through my body. It was a lot of fun.

TFK: What was your favorite event besides speed skating?
Ohno: I'd have to say long track. It's still speed skating, but I'm a speed skater, I love speed skating!

TFK: Did you get to watch any other events?
Ohno: I did. I watched some skiing, ski jumping, and even some Alpine skiing. I liked to watch a lot of skiing events. The bobsled was really cool.


By India Pasiuk

[angelina]

Hey gals, those Northwest Airlines folks sent me replacement copies of the in-flight mag, bless their hearts. I mentioned in another thread that my copies from the first mailing got wet in the rain.

So I have two extra copies, albeit wrinkly. An iron might do the trick. Please PM me if you're interested.

[number1fan]

nwasianweekly.com
Jan. 6, 2006


Apolo Ohno graciously shook everyone’s hands while visiting the office of the
Northwest Asian Weekly last Wednesday.
Photo by Carol N. Vu


Surprise visit by Apolo Ohno

By Carol N. Vu
Northwest Asian Weekly

It’s not every day a reigning Olympic gold medalist glides into our office.

Looking suave in a leather jacket, his trademark long hair nicely coiffed, Apolo Ohno made an unannounced visit to the Northwest Asian Weekly last Wednesday.

Jaws dropped. Gasps were heard. People ran to get their cameras. Ohno chuckled at the attention as he graciously shook everyone’s hands and answered questions. His father, Belltown hairstylist Yuki Ohno, stood off to the side and beamed as he watched his son interact with fans.

Ohno won a gold and two bronzes in short-track speedskating at the 2004 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, adding to the gold and silver he won at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. The face of American speedskating for the past several years and an internationally recognized celebrity, he has won races around the world, making legions of fans along the way. He certainly hasn’t been hurt by his youthful heartthrob image, complete with wavy locks, boy-next-door grin and, of course, that oh-so-cool soul patch.

The 24-year-old was in town to spend Christmas with his dad, who has raised Apolo by himself since the time he was an infant. After the Ohno men had lunch in Chinatown/International District with friend and Seattle entrepreneur Yale Wong, Wong took them to the Northwest Asian Weekly to meet the staff.

Ohno remains close to his dad, who is clearly his No. 1 fan, and visits him in Seattle as often as he can. In competition, Yuki Ohno can often be seen in the stands, arms above his head, cheering his son on. It’s still Yuki who cuts Apolo’s hair.

If you didn’t know who Apolo Ohno was when he walked in, you’d think he was just your average nice guy. He appeared at ease talking to strangers. Many celebrities are guarded when they talk to the media, for fear of saying something that would damage their reputation, but not Ohno. He was relaxed and open, even when discussing his love life. (More on that later.)

It’s as if he wanted people to get to know the real Apolo Ohno.


Life after speedskating

For the past several years, Ohno has spent most of his time in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he trains full time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. When he has time, he takes classes at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, where he is studying towards a business degree, albeit slowly, but surely.

That degree might come in handy soon, as Ohno is already thinking about life after speedskating. He’s looked into opening up fitness shops, investing in real estate, even acting in movies. “I have many interests,” he acknowledged.

Ohno has already written an autobiography, which was published in 2002.

For 2007, his goal is simple: to come up with a plan, including fitness and mental regimens, that will get him to the next Winter Olympics. It’s especially important to him that he gets a spot on the 2010 team, as the Games will take place close to home, in Vancouver, B.C., and it might be his last appearance in the Olympics. Ohno said most speedskaters reach their peak at 27, the age he will be in 2010.

Some of his toughest competition comes from the South Korean skaters, with whom he has shared numerous controversies. At the 2002 Games, South Korean skater Kim Dong-sung finished the 1500-meter race first, but was disqualified for blocking Ohno, who was then named the winner. The South Korean team was furious, and Ohno became the recipient of several death threats from overzealous fans of the Korean team.

In 2006, when Ohno was beat by two South Korea skaters in the 1,000-meter race, he made it a point to show good sportsmanship. “I was the first to shake their hands,” he said. On the medals stand, gold medalist Ahn Hyun Soo invited silver winner Lee Ho-suk and bronze medalist Ohno to share the top of the podium with him.

Ohno believes any hostility between the Americans and the South Koreans has been a function of the media’s imagination. “We get along fine,” he insisted.


Refreshingly honest

Ohno looked leaner in person than he does on TV, but he is just as personable, friendly and refreshingly honest.

When asked if he has to work to conquer his demons, he replied, “Every day.”

Even the most exceptional athletes like Ohno have to deal with the fear of failure, the fear of not being good enough. Self-doubt can haunt them like ghosts. It takes a lot of mental toughness to rid yourself of them and focus on your strengths.
To keep his body in shape, Ohno said he trains for about eight hours a day and sticks to a very strict diet. Even while vacationing in Seattle, he didn’t get a break. Ohno said he still worked out “a few hours” every day.

He flew back to Colorado Springs Dec. 28.

So, does this heartthrob have a girlfriend?

The media widely reported during the Turin Olympics that he was dating fellow American speedskater Allison Baver. But last week, Ohno would only say with a grin, “I’m dating.”

It’s obvious he’s used to talking to the media and with fans. People ask him the same questions over and over, so he’s prepared with articulate and polished answers. He comes across as a mature and thoughtful young man.

One major irk of all reporters: when someone tells them, “This is off the record.” It’s irritating when a public figure discloses interesting information about him or herself that other reporters don’t know, only to follow it up with a request to not publish it.

Not once did Ohno say that to anyone in the office. He was open with everyone.

Ohno seems to understand that people want to know more about him. So he remains accommodating and approachable, patient and gracious.

And that’s the real Apolo Ohno.

Carol N. Vu can be reached at [e-mail].

[aaosmts19]

Speedskating: Ohno poised for return to racing


Speedskating: Ohno poised for return to racing
By Michael C. Lewis
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 12/18/2007 02:21:52 AM MST


KEARNS - Unless you count the dance floor, speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno has not competed in the better part of a year. So this weekend will be good for him.
The 25-year-old two-time Olympian and celebrity heartthrob will be the main attraction at the U.S. Short-Track Championships at the Utah Olympic Oval, beginning his long run-up to the 2010 Vancouver Games in Canada with a new Utah home, a new coaching staff and a stratospheric new level of popularity after his star turn on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
"My name recognition and face recognition was very high, just from the Olympic games and some of the things I had done," Ohno said. "But after the show, it was - still, it's insane. It's absolutely insane. It has been a blessing, it has. I've been very, very, very lucky, and I'm enjoying it."
While most of his competitors this weekend will be fighting to qualify for upcoming World Cup events and the World Short-Track Championships in March, Ohno is all but a lock for those privileges. He's more eager to assess his fitness, having just returned to serious training about four months ago.
"I basically took two full summers off," he said. "Not a good idea, for any athlete. But the transition has been going well. I'm excited about this competition. I haven't raced for quite a long time, and it's about time."
The last time Ohno competed on the ice - he won the
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"Dancing with the Stars" competition, of course, in front of millions of TV viewers - was the world championships last March, where he won a gold medal and two bronzes after similarly abbreviated season.
Since then, though, a lot has changed.
Ohno moved to Utah when U.S. Speedskating consolidated all of its speedskaters at its new headquarters at the Oval - he bought a house not far south of the arena - and he began training under new coach Jae Su Chun, who was hired to lead the program last spring.
"It has been a big change, at least for me," Ohno said. "But I'm just happy to be skating again. I love skating. I'm trying to balance my life outside of skating, as well. That's the hardest part, but it's going well."
[e-mail]

At the Utah Olympic Oval, Kearns
Free Admission
* Friday: Men's and women's 1,500 Meters, 6 p.m.
* Saturday: Men's and women's 500 meters, 11 a.m.
* Sunday: Men's and women's 1,000 Meters, 10 a.m.

[aaosmts19]

Speedskater Ohno eager to get back on Utah ice
By Jared Eborn
Deseret Morning News
Published: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 12:08 a.m. MST

KEARNS — Apolo Anton Ohno has been a very busy guy. In addition to being one of the faces of U.S. speedskating, the gold medalist has taken time away from the sport to pick up endorsements, lap up the celebrity thing and — as you might have noticed — win a little television dance contest with Utah's Julianne Hough.
He's also moved to the Beehive State himself after U.S. Speedskating consolidated its offices at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Friday, the energetic star of the speedskating program will be competing on the ice for the first time since the end of the World Cup season last March. It will also be his debut on his new home ice as he tries to secure a spot on the World Cup team at the U.S. Senior Short Track Championships.

"I took two full summers off," Ohno said Monday during a press conference before this weekend's competitions, "which isn't a good thing — but I'm excited (for this weekend). It should be good times."

Ohno will be joined by about 20 other Olympic hopefuls as they zip around the ice at the oval.

But the event is much more than just the Ohno show.

Since moving its offices from Colorado Springs to Utah, most of the skaters involved with the short track program have also packed up and joined the coaches here.

It's great that the spirit of the Olympics is still here in Salt Lake City, at the oval, especially," Amanda Baver said.
Being at the oval means the short track skaters no longer have to compete for ice time with hockey teams, figure skaters or — in the case of those training at Marquette, Mich. — a basketball team who laid a hardwood floor over the ice rink for games.

Now, the speed skaters have a facility devoted to turning them into national, world and Olympic champions.

"The biggest difference is we have the control here," team member Travis Jayner said, noting the availability of ice, a running track, weight room and coaches all in one place. "There is no facility in the world that has all those things combined."

Putting all those ingredients together, Ohno says, will make for the best team the United States has ever had.

"They all bring something else to the pie," Ohno said. "And we all like pie."

Spectators get to sample that dish this weekend and then again in February when the oval host a world cup competition.

U.S. Senior Short Track Championships

Dec. 21-23, Utah Olympic Oval, Tickets: $4-7

Event schedule

Friday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m.
1,000 time trial 6 p.m.
1,500 men and women

Saturday, Dec. 22, 11 a.m.
500 men and women

Sunday, Dec. 23 10 a.m.
1,000 men and women
3,000 men and women
3,000 relay
5,000 relay

[sk8on]

Apolo Ohno Set to Return to Competitive Skating
TUESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2007 11:15 AM EST

By Tim Nudd


Apolo Ohno

Photo by: Douglas C. Pizac / AP


For Apolo Anton Ohno, competing in – and winning – the fourth season of Dancing With the Stars last spring was a pretty nice diversion. But this weekend he returns to his first love, competitive speed skating, for the first time since March.

Ohno, 25, will take the ice at the U.S. Short-Track Championships in Utah this weekend, the first major event in the lead-up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. And thanks to his dance moves, he's an even bigger draw now than he used to be.

"My name recognition and face recognition was very high, just from the Olympic Games and some of the things I had done," Ohno tells the Salt Lake Tribune. "But after the show, it was – still, it's insane. It's absolutely insane. It has been a blessing, it has. I've been very, very, very lucky, and I'm enjoying it."

After so much time on the dance floor, the two-time Olympic gold medalist is eager to test his skills back on the oval.


Time to Race Again
"I basically took two full summers off," he says. "Not a good idea, for any athlete. But the transition has been going well. I'm excited about this competition. I haven't raced for quite a long time, and it's about time."

Ohno, who won DWTS with Julianne Hough, recently bought a house in Utah and hired a new coach – as he begins his serious preparations for another run at Olympic glory.

"I'm just happy to be skating again," he says. "I love skating. I'm trying to balance my life outside of skating, as well. That's the hardest part, but it's going well."

www.people.com/people/article/0,,20166911,00.html

[number1fan]

aaosmts19 and sk8on, thanks a bunch for the new news articles! i'm sooo excited!

[aaosmts19]

aaosmts19 said:

Speedskater Ohno eager to get back on Utah ice

"I took two full summers off," Ohno said Monday during a press conference before this weekend's competitions, "which isn't a good thing — but I'm excited (for this weekend). It should be good times."

Anyone know if the press conference was recorded?
Thanks!....and to all out in SLC this week...thinking of you all, and have a blast.!

[linmiste]

Thanks, aaosmts and sk8on, for continuing to keep this thread alive. It is becoming a gold mine! It's always good to read about our man.