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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?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:58:01 PM)
What he got a haircut?? send me a pic of it greekangel248@aol.com
Apololvr
Monday, March 18, 2002 at 22:09:37 (PST)
What hair cut?? He got a hair cut?
vinci
Monday, March 18, 2002 at 15:44:06 (PST)
What do ya'all think of his new short haircut? i am still trying to decide if I like it..
Just wondering
Monday, March 18, 2002 at 08:33:14 (PST)
Apolo is an inspiration. He is rare and hasn't yet met his potential. How in the world can you spell Korean "Corean" on an Asian American page??? Please edit this blaring mistake.
Melissa
Wednesday, March 13, 2002 at 11:07:35 (PST)
[How in the world could you miss Our Corea Spelling Policy? It's all over the site! Also, you mean "glaring", not "blaring". --Ed]
APOLO OHNO ROXX!!! ASIAN REPRESENT!!!
aissa
Wednesday, March 06, 2002 at 21:21:48 (PST)
I love Apolo he is sooo gorgeous his eyes are so beautiful and he's got a sexxy A$$,And he's the Best Short-track Skater Out There! I Hope to Meet Him.
Anybody Wanna Chat Bout Him Email me @ bella_lebanesexox@hotmail.com
Tracy
bella_lebanesexox@hotmail.com
Wednesday, March 06, 2002 at 20:19:48 (PST)
I loved it! I love Apolo and he is just the greatest guy and athlete. All us teenagers are lucky to have him as a role model [ and a god to some of us..me :) ] so look up to
Megan from Norman, Oklahoma
AP0L0S x SLAV3@aol.com
Tuesday, March 05, 2002 at 18:09:27 (PST)
This is a nice article but the mistake with the Corean instead of Korean is unbelievably obvious and takes away from the overall reception of the article.
Christina
Tuesday, March 05, 2002 at 17:08:44 (PST)
[Check out our Corea Spelling Policy. --Ed]
Apolo's just plain out HOT~! Not only is he a great short tracker, he's one hot teenager! I just love watching him on the Olympics and on all the interviews afterwards. You go APOLO!
Connie
Tuesday, March 05, 2002 at 17:02:46 (PST)
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