Apolo Anton Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno is a renowned American short-track speed skater, born on May 22, 1982, in Seattle, Washington. He is celebrated for his achievements in the sport, particularly during the Winter Olympic Games, where he won a total of eight medals, including four golds. Ohno's early life was marked by challenges, including a difficult family background and a struggle with delinquency, which his father addressed by introducing him to sports. His turning point came when he committed to short-track speed skating at age fourteen, ultimately becoming the youngest U.S. short-track champion in history.
Ohno gained fame during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, where his performances, marked by determination and sportsmanship, elevated him to superstar status in the U.S. Despite facing controversies, notably with South Korean skater Kim Dong Sung, Ohno continued to excel, earning medals in subsequent Olympic competitions. After retiring in 2013, he transitioned into various business ventures, wrote two memoirs, and became a motivational speaker. Ohno also founded the Apolo Ohno Foundation, aimed at empowering at-risk youth, showcasing his commitment to social causes alongside his athletics. His vibrant personality and achievements have left a lasting impact on the sport and inspired many.
Subject Terms
Apolo Anton Ohno
Skater
- Born: May 22, 1982
- Place of Birth: Seattle, Washington
SPORT: Speed skating
Early Life
Apolo Anton Ohno was born May 22, 1982, in Seattle, Washington, just outside Seattle. His mother, Jerrie Lee, was Caucasian, and his father, Yuki Ohno, was Japanese. Ohno’s parents divorced when he was a baby, and his father raised him without help from his mother or any family in the United States.
Ohno’s father owned a successful upscale hair salon, which often required him to be away from home for long periods of time. Left to his own devices, Ohno became mischievous as a pre-teen and began associating with a crowd of juvenile delinquents.
Worried over his son’s welfare, Yuki encouraged his son to participate in competitive swimming and inline skating. Ohno tried both sports and became interested in short-track speed skating at fourteen. Although Ohno excelled in sports, he continued to hang out with a bad crowd.
At the age of thirteen, Sports Illustrated for Kids called Ohno a “hotshot” because of his skating talents. Encouraged by the attention his son’s athletic triumphs were receiving and desperate to save him from jail or worse, Yuki persuaded officials at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center to accept Ohno into their full-time short-track program, even though at fourteen years old, he was one year under the age limit of fifteen.
Training
Although accepted into the program, Ohno did not go to Lake Placid. He intentionally missed his flight and ran away with friends. After much worry, his father and aunt located him and convinced him to return home. Upon his return, his father escorted him to his flight to ensure he reached Lake Placid. Once there, Ohno did well on the short-track team, but he did not fully commit to the rigorous training schedule until fellow teammates nicknamed him “Chunky.” The name affected him deeply and caused Ohno to devote himself to training.
Following his training at Lake Placid, in 1997, at the age of fourteen, Ohno became the youngest US short-track speed-skating champion in history. His celebrity did not deter him from immediately returning to his old delinquent ways when he returned to Seattle. Once home, his training regimen suffered, and he quickly became overweight and under trained. Although he qualified and competed in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he finished last in his trials.
Devastated and unsure if Ohno would be invited back to Lake Placid, his father made one last attempt to save his son and his son’s future. Yuki took his son to a remote cabin in Iron Springs, Washington. Ohno’s father instructed him to think hard about his future and what life would hold for him if he quit skating. His father then left Ohno for eight days to ponder his future. Ohno realized he had to change his lifestyle if he were to become a world-class athlete.
Professional Career
After making a life-changing decision, Ohno committed himself to training and competition. In 1999, his hard work and effort paid off when he won the overall title in the World Junior Championships in Montreal, Canada, and went on to place second in the overall World Cup Championship in 2001 in Jeonju, South Korea. Following these successes, Ohno qualified for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
During the Olympics, Ohno became a sports superstar, winning a silver medal in the 1,000-meter race after falling, a gold medal in the 500-meter race, and a gold medal in the 1,500-meter race. Ohno’s sportsmanship and laid-back attitude made him an Olympic personality and household name in the United States.
The Salt Lake City Games were not without controversy. South Korean skater Kim Dong Sung forfeited his gold medal in the 1,500-meter race to Ohno because he blocked Ohno during the race. This caused an overwhelming number of threats from South Korean fans. As a result, Ohno declined to participate in the 2003 World Cup short-track meet held in South Korea.
In 2005, Ohno competed in the Speed Skating World Cup in Beijing, China, winning gold medals in the 1,000-meter and 3,000-meter races. His determination to compete and ultimately win, despite suffering from sickness, earned him the respect of the Korean people.
The 2006 Turin Olympic Games in Italy were a highlight for Ohno. Although he finished fifth in the 1,500-meter race, he earned the bronze medal in the 1,000-meter event and the gold medal in the 500-meter race. On the same day that he won the gold medal, Ohno won the bronze medal in the men’s 5,000-meter relay. After the Turin Olympics, Ohno took a year off from skating but returned at full strength, winning every event in the US championships in 2007 and earning a gold medal in the 1,500-meter race in the 2007 world championships in Milan, Italy. At the 2008 World Championships in Gangneung, South Korea, he placed first in the 500-meter race, second in the 1,000-meter race, and third in the 3,000-meter race, earning him his first overall title.
He underwent a grueling training regime prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where he earned a bronze medal in the 1,000-meter race and a silver medal in the 1,500-meter race. Ohno also helped the US team earn the bronze medal in the 5,000-meter relay, his eighth career Olympic medal. After the 2010 Olympics, Ohno took a long break from the sport and officially announced his retirement in 2013. He was a correspondent for NBC Sports at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
After his retirement, Ohno remained active in the business, sports, and media worlds. Ohno founded Quantum Media Group, which worked with branding and digital media. He became involved in various companies within the health and wellness sector and invested in tech startups as well. Ohno published his memoir, Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday, in 2010. The book highlighted his young struggles and his sports success. A second book, Hard Pivot: Embrace Change. Find Purpose. Show Up Fully was published in 2022 and discussed Ohno's rocky transition from athletics to private life. Ohno shared his life experience as a motivational speaker as well. Ohno also remained a prominent figure in athletics, participating in Iron Man competitions and providing sports commentary for speed skating competitions. Finally, Ohno founded the Apolo Ohno Foundation, focusing on empowering at-risk youth.
Summary
Apolo Anton Ohno brought attention and glory to men’s short-track skating by becoming one of its most celebrated competitors. He popularized the relatively unknown sport, brought it to the American public, and initiated a new generation to the sport. His graciousness and vibrant personality made him a celebrity and a respected athlete. In addition to his impressive career wins, Ohno participated in the American television show Dancing with the Stars, in which he and his partner Julianne Hough won the fourth season in 2007. He was also involved in a number of philanthropic efforts, including the Gap clothing company's Product Red initiative, which raised money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Bibliography
Donovan, John, and Laurie L. Dove. “Hard Pivot: The Reinvention of Olympian Apolo Ohno.” HowStuffWorks, 21 Jan. 2022, history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/apolo-ohno.htm. Accessed 9 June 2024.
Gotian, Ruth. “Olympic Champion Apolo Ohno Explains How To Reevaluate After A Loss.” Forbes, 10 Nov. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/ruthgotian/2020/11/10/olympic-champion-apolo-ohno-explains-how-to-reevaluate-after-a-loss. Accessed 9 June 2024.
Lang, Thomas. Going for the Gold: Apolo Anton Ohno. New York: Avon Books, 2002.
Layden, Joe. All about Apolo. New York: Aladdin, 2002.
Maxwell, E. J. XTreme Sports: Cutting Edge. New York: Scholastic, 2003.
Ohno, Apolo. Zero Regrets: Be Greater than Yesterday. New York: Simon, 2011.
Ohno, Apolo Anton, and Nancy Richardson. A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno. New York: Simon, 2002.
“Other Short-track Skaters on Apolo Ohno: ‘He’s our Babe Ruth.’” The Seattle Times, 9 Feb. 2010, www.seattletimes.com/sports/other-short-track-skaters-on-apolo-ohno-hes-our-babe-ruth. Accessed 9 June 2024.