From Blades to the Ballroom
Can Apolo Anton Ohno dance as well as he can skate?
We're used to seeing Apolo Anton Ohno move across the ice like the speed of light, but the Olympic gold medalist is hoping to translate his fluid movements onto the dance floor of a hit television show.
The 24-year-old Olympian is a contestant in the upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," making him the youngest competitor in a diverse cast made up of a former boy band member, a former beauty queen and a basketball legend.
"This is definitely outside of my own world," said Apolo in a phone interview with the Pacific Citizen while en route to practice and shoot promos with partner Julianne Hough ("an amazing dancer!").
"I've competed in front of an audience before, but this will be in front of 30 million people!" he said laughing about the new experience. "I'm going to have fun. I'm going to make the most of it."
The show, which will premiere its fourth season March 19, pairs a cast of stars with professional dancers in a competition where judges critique the performances and viewers call in votes for their favorite pair.
Don't worry, Apolo has some rhythm and moves. He has experience dancing and a lot of discipline, but a little free styling in a nightclub is different from ballroom dancing, he said.
"There are so many rules! You have to keep your back stiff ... in speed skating I'm used to having my back nicely rounded!"
Since the cast was recently announced, they've already had a few dance sessions and Apolo, who doesn't have any formal dance experience, is learning the basics before he has to leave for training in another competition - his signature sport of short-track speed skating.
He is after all a two-time Olympian and the winner of two gold medals, a silver and two bronze medals. After competing in the 2006 Torino Winter Games, Apolo talked publicly about going into semi-retirement, but the competitive fire in him hasn't burned out.
Apolo competed for the first time since Torino in the U.S. short-track speed skating championship in Cleveland and took home his eighth national title Feb. 25. He ranked first in every category at nationals to finish with 170 points earning him the opportunity to compete in the World Championships in Milan, Italy March 9-11.
"To go to nationals and defend my crown is amazing," he said. "Being 24 and having gone to two Olympics to reap the successes and awards ... I've completed all the goals I've set for myself. It's the duty of it now - to compete for the love of it."
Although he's proud of all his Olympic medals, his most recent gold medal win in Torino in the 500 was a personal victory.
"Everything was perfect, the positioning, overcoming injury ..." said Apolo, who cites "consistency" as his biggest achievement.
Is another Olympics in his future? Yes, he will be at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, but he's still debating the role he's going to play.
"I'm leaning towards competing again," said Apolo, who is moving from Colorado Springs to Salt Lake City to train. He's also looking for sponsors who can make his competitive dream come true.
In Apolo's world, the pressure to excel is always intense.
"I think whenever I compete, I'm expected to win. It's a sport that comes down to one-thousandth of a second or a photo finish ... but that's the beauty of sport - performing under pressure."
Fortunately, he's used to pressure.
Apolo started speed skating at 14. Before that, he dabbled in all kinds of sports like swimming until speed skating changed his life.
The world will have to wait to see if dancing will be his next sport of choice. Apolo and his father Yuki Ohno, a hairstylist, are already discussing a different look for the usually coifed athlete.
"I will have my father there and some friends and family. I'll have a support system there," he said about his upcoming time on "Dancing with the Stars."
His name is so synonymous with excellence that it's easy to forget he's another Asian Pacific American community member. Outside of the arena, he has a passion for commercial real estate and fast cars.
"I'm a regular 24 year old. I love having fun."
But in the speed skating arena, he's considered a veteran.
When he decides to hang up his skates, he's interested in broadcasting because he's comfortable on camera and in the spotlight. He's also expressed interest in conquering Hollywood.
"It's a very interesting world," said Apolo about his future.
But it's one step at a time. Right now, he's learning to swivel to salsa music and urging people to vote for his smooth moves.
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