|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Apolo Ohno: Next Asian American Olympic Hero?
e's the U.S. athlete most likely to lead the medal count at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, with an even chance of winning gold in all four short track speedskating events. What's more, the 19-year-old half-Japanese kid comes with a backstory that's sure to add cache and even a dab of poignance to his achievement.
Apolo Anton Ohno exploded onto the speedskating scene at the absurd age of 14 when he became the U.S. national men's speedskating champion. In 1999 and 2000 he came in first overall in the World Cups in China and Canada. He lost last year's World Championship to South Corean Kim Dong-Sung, but came right back to set a new world short-track record of 2 minutes, 13.728 seconds in the 1,500-meter in December's U.S. Olympic trials.
At those same trials Ohno became caught in a scandal that may only add badboy cache to his Olympic exploits -- he was accused of deliberately coming in third in the 1,000-meter race in order to ensure an Olympic berth for close buddy Shani Davis, the first Black to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Team. Davis's win bumped 1998 Olympian Tommy O'Hare off the team. O'Hare filed a complaint with the U.S. Olympic Committee. The arbitrator bought Ohno's story that, having racked up more than enough points to qualify for all four short-track events, he had simply decided to play it safe. But the suspicion lingers that Ohno had rigged a race to help a buddy, especially when it finds support in the testimony of two skeptical referees and of three other teammates who heard Ohno and Davis rigging the race.
Then there's the poignance.
Apolo Ohno was raised entirely by father Yuki who had immigrated alone from Tokyo at the age of 18. Yuki dropped out of accounting studies at Seattle City College in favor of the less cerebral profession of cosmetology. He opened his own Seattle beauty salon and enjoyed enough success to party hearty with other young hairdressers. He was 36 before marrying Apolo's mother. The marriage ended within a year, putting Yuki in the unfamiliar position of having to provide mothering and a stable home for his infant son. To make ends meet Yuki had to moonlight at a second salon. That left many unsupervised hours for Apolo. His after-school mischief with friends became worrisome. Yuki got him involved in swimming and in-line skating, then after watching a short-track race from the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games, he hooked Apolo up with the sport in which he would make his mark. He was so surprisingly good, in fact, that father and son set their sights on qualifying for the 1998 Nagano games. The combination of pressure and inexperience proved too much. In the Olympic trials Apolo came in 16th out of 16 hopefuls and failed to make the team. For some time his ultimate comeback was doubtful, then painful, but ultimately successful beyond the Ohnos' wildest expectations.
And now Apolo Anton Ohno twinkles as the pole star in the U.S. quest for a record-setting 20 medals in Salt Lake City. Those bright metal tokens won't come easy. Ohno must pit cunning, muscle and heart against better seasoned Corean and Chinese foes in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter individual races, then pull the team in the 5,000-meter relay. Ohno's spandex may not throw off the glamour of Michele Kwan's ice dresses but this February millions of new aficianados will likely thrill to the wicked glint of steel slashing in switchblade duels on the unforgiving short track.
Will Apolo Ohno leave Salt Lake City as the next American Olympic hero? Or has he already disqualified himself with his badboy image?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
CONTACT US
|
ADVERTISING INFO
© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:58:02 PM)
Does anyone here know where you can email him? Please tell me! Thanx
Vinci
Sweet_Mystique_Princess@hotmail.com
Saturday, March 02, 2002 at 15:38:05 (PST)
i really enjoyed watching apolo ohno in the olympics. i've never seen or heard of short track speed skating but watching him race in it made it really interesting. i was cheering for him and i'm canadian. he might not have won four gold medals but the smile he had on his face as he accepted the medals was a trophy in itself.
tamara
canadian
min_nerva@hotmail.com
Saturday, March 02, 2002 at 14:46:54 (PST)
He is so fine and I wish that I could meet him. He has inspired me so much that I want to become an olympic short track speed skater. I think that his hair and his eyes make his beatiful face, but the gracious way he accepted everything about the olympics makes his beatiful personality. I want to become an olympian just so that I could meet him in the 2006 olympics.
**Seriously if anybody everfinds out his email address or even his address PLEASE notify me @ Angelic__13@excite.com THANKS**
Heather
Angelic__13@excite.com
Friday, March 01, 2002 at 08:05:30 (PST)
also and where is his mother these days? or who is she? does she have a name or what?
deborah lee
honeysuckle822@yahoo.com
Thursday, February 28, 2002 at 19:29:36 (PST)
Well, Apolo Anton Ohno was really fun to watch. I hope the he comes back for 2006 Torino Games. I love his smile and everything that comes along with it.
Banana gurl16
Thursday, February 28, 2002 at 17:45:06 (PST)
omygod, i luuuuuv Apolo. he is a god he is soooo sweet and is so gracious when he lost. of ne 1 knows where to write 2 him or nething tell me!!
Jessi
Thursday, February 28, 2002 at 14:01:49 (PST)
i've never even heard about short track skating until the first time i saw apolo anton ohno race. and it was a hell of a race. i fell in love with him at that moment. i love his hair and his eyes, especially the gracious way he accpeted everything. and even though i think he looks better without that soul patch, he can do whatever he wants. and about all that hate mail...IT'S NOT HIS FAULT, SO GET OVER IT! blame the judges, whatever, but it's so immature to blame him. he was on the jay leno show last night and it was so funny i kept cracking up. watch it...he's cute in it.
cutie apolo
Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at 21:22:48 (PST)
I think Apolo was incredible during these Olympic games. He was absolutely inspiring to all Americans, young and old. I'd love to meet him and I'm also 19! So if anyone can find his email please let me know, I would be so grateful.
Emily
dream51682@aol.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at 18:58:48 (PST)
Apolo is definetley great for his sport, considering that noone knew what the hell shortrack was before we all got to see him on the Olympics! I would love to see more of him in the future for sure!
EB
Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at 17:41:25 (PST)
apolo is a god. everything about him.. his looks (his hair! his *soul patch*), his class, his personality, his smile - is wonderful...and is he not the only speed skater who looks hot in that weird full-body spandex? people expected him to walk away from the olympics with 4 gold medals.. but he comes away with 1 gold, 1 silver, and a smile on his face. he is one of the most inspiring asian celebrities to emerge in a long time. that's right.. goodbye scrawny asian guy stereotype. hello apolo ohno!! i've never had anything against koreans (i'm japanese) but.. 16,000 email threats? come ON.
asian girl from boston
Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at 14:26:01 (PST)
If Apollo got the gold, he got the gold!
There's really nothing you can do now. why don't you people look at him in a different point of view. He's actually really good looking. Email me if you don't or do agree to what i'm saying.
Vinci
Sweet_Mystique_Princess@hotmail.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at 14:07:16 (PST)
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|