Facts about Apolo Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno Biography
Apolo Anton Ohno is the short-track speedskater whose eight Winter Olympic medals are more than any other American in history. Apolo Ohno won his first gold medal in 1500-meter short track speedskating at the 2002 Winter Olympics. (The win was controversial; Ohno moved up to first after apparent winner South Korean Kim Dong-Sung was disqualified.) Ohno also won silver in the 1000 meters at the same Olympics, held in Salt Lake City. Ohno was already something of a star: his youth, mixed ethnic heritage, and signature “soul patch” chin whiskers, combined with the exotic charms of his fast-moving sport, made him a 21st-century favorite with teen fans and the media. Ohno was the overall short track World Cup champion in 2001, 2003, and 2005, and in 2006 he again raced in the Olympics, winning a gold medal (at 500 meters) and two bronze (at 1000 meters and in the 5000-meter team relay) in Torino, Italy. In the 2010 Winter Games at Vancouver, he won a silver medal in the 1500 meters, a bronze in the 1000 meters, and a bronze in the 5,000 meter relay for his sixth, seventh and eighth Olympic medals. Apolo Ohno also gained fame by winning the 2007 TV talent contest Dancing With The Stars, competing in ballroom dancing against Heather Mills, Laila Ali (daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali), and others.
Extra credit
Apolo Ohno is 5’8″ tall, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee… He published his autobiography, A Journey, in 2002… Apolo Ohno’s father Yuki, a hairstylist, raised him as a single parent… Also according to the Olympic Committee, Ohno “was given his unusual first name by his father, Yuki, who combined the Greek words ‘Ap,’ translated to ‘steering away from,’ and ‘lo,’ translated to ‘look out, here he comes.’ His middle name, Anton, means ‘priceless’”… Apolo Anton Ohno is no relation to artist Yoko Ono.