Apolo Anton Ohno biography
Apolo Anton Ohno, (born May 22, 1982, Seattle, Washington, U.S.), American short-track pace skater who was the most-decorated American athlete within the historical past of the Winter Olympics. In three Games (2002, 2006, and 2010) he amassed a complete of eight medals—two gold, two silver, and 4 bronze.
Ohno’s Japanese-born father inspired him from an early age to take part in sports activities. (He had no contact together with his American mom.) He skilled success in aggressive swimming and in-line curler skating earlier than taking over short-track pace skating on the age of 12. His expertise on the ice was acknowledged virtually instantly, and at age 14 he grew to become the youngest skater ever to be accepted into the residency program on the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. He gained the primary of his quite a few U.S. championships in 1997, and by 2001 he had emerged as an elite competitor on the worldwide short-track circuit, profitable the general World Cup title that 12 months—the primary American skater to take action.
At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ohno was among the many favourites within the 1,000-metre occasion. On the race’s remaining lap, nevertheless, China’s Li Jiajun prompted a pileup that knocked everybody down besides Australian Steven Bradbury (then skating in final place), who safely bypassed the opposite skaters for the gold. Ohno managed to lunge throughout the end line to earn the silver medal. Ohno later gained a controversial gold within the 1,500-metre competitors; though he completed the race second behind South Korea’s Kim Dong-Sung, Kim was subsequently disqualified for having obstructed Ohno’s path. Ohno claimed his second general World Cup title in 2003 and achieved a 3rd in 2005. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, he was the one American to win a short-track gold medal, within the 500-metre occasion, and earned bronze medals within the 1,000-metre race and the 5,000-metre relay.
In 2007 Ohno made headlines off the ice by showing as a contestant on the televised dance competitors Dancing with the Stars, which he gained together with his skilled dance companion, Julianne Hough; he additionally competed on the present in 2012. After returning to skating, he rapidly regained his profitable kind. At the 2008 short-track world championships in Kangnung, South Korea, he captured the 500-metre and general world titles.
Although Ohno struggled in 2009, he arrived on the 2010 Games in Vancouver with excessive expectations. After capturing a silver medal within the 1,500 metres, he gained a bronze within the 1,000 metres. It was his seventh profession Olympic medal, and Ohno surpassed pace skater Bonnie Blair for many Winter Games medals gained by an American. Ohno later suffered a disqualification within the 500-metre remaining however returned to steer the United States to a bronze medal within the 5,000-metre relay. The Vancouver Olympics have been his remaining competitors, although he didn't formally retire till 2013.