SPEEDSKATING: INSPIRED OHNO TAKES BRONZE SPEEDSKATER OVERCOMES HIS EARLIER SETBACK.Byline: Paul Oberjuerge Staff Writer TURIN, Italy - Apolo Anton Ohno Apolo Anton Ohno (born on May 22, 1982) is an American short track speed skating competitor and a two-time gold medalist in the Winter Olympics. He also competed in and won the reality TV show, Dancing with the Stars in 2007. conceded con·cede v. con·ced·ed, con·ced·ing, con·cedes v.tr. 1. To acknowledge, often reluctantly, as being true, just, or proper; admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge. 2. to being ``devastated'' by failing to win his first event at the Turin Olympics. He was down, emotionally, after a bump knocked him out of the 1,500-meter semifinals. He got over it with the help of letters from home. ``I was getting some stuff from back in Seattle, guys I train with, and it was unbelievable the support I got,'' the short-track cult hero said. ``One guy wrote, you're the man, here and now, breathe and relax. ``For me to hear that stuff at the Games was very powerful.'' Ohno took his friends' advice and won a bronze medal in the short-track 1,000-meter race Saturday at the Palavela arena. Ohno finished behind the Korean pair of Ahn Hyun-Soo Ahn Hyun-Soo (안현수, born November 23, 1985 in Seoul) is a Short track speed skating athlete from South Korea and is a three-time gold-medalist in the Winter Olympics. and Lee Ho-Suk Lee Ho-Suk (이호석, born June 25, 1986 in Seoul, South Korea) is a South Korean short track speedskater who earned two individual silver medals in the 1000 and 1500 meters behind his teammate, Ahn Hyun-Soo at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. , a satisfying result in Seoul, where Ohno's gold and silver medals in 2002 were seen as a function of judging that unfairly punished pun·ish v. pun·ished, pun·ish·ing, pun·ish·es v.tr. 1. To subject to a penalty for an offense, sin, or fault. 2. To inflict a penalty for (an offense). 3. Koreans. ``From the very beginning I was competing against Ohno,'' Ahn said. ``As you know, in Salt Lake City, Ohno and I bumped into each other and I missed my medal. This gives me a special feeling.'' Ohno got his special feeling from e-mails from fans. Normally, he said, ``I just shut myself off, all friends and family, except my dad.'' ``For me to be able to bounce back from the 1,500 was pretty big. I couldn't really do anything before I overcame myself. So I'm real happy. ``Obviously I wanted to win the race, but it didn't turn out that way. Now I've got a bronze, silver and gold (medal), so that works.'' Rusty Smith Rusty Smith (born August 27, 1979) is a short track speed skater from the United States who won bronze in the 500m at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and another bronze in the 5000m relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. of Long Beach was fourth, about five yards behind Ohno, an expectedly strong showing by a 26-year-old who has been dogged by injuries. ``It was a great race,'' Smith said. ``I was happy with it. I skated well.'' Ahn won the race in Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 26.739 seconds. Ohno threw his hands in the air at the finish line, but he said it wasn't from anger or frustration. ``That was like a 'Wow' I couldn't believe how fast it was,'' he said. ``In short track, lap times usually decrease as the race goes on, but we were going faster. It was more throwing my arms up, like, man, there was no room to move.'' Ohno has two more events, the 500-meter individual race and the 5,000- meter relay. Smith will be in the relay, as well. Koreans also went 1-2 in the women's 1,500-meter race, with Jin Sun-Yu Jin Sun-Yu (진선유, born December 17, 1988 in Daegu, South Korea) is a Korean short-track speed skater. She was the winner of the gold medal in the 1500 meters and the silver medal in the 1000 meters at the 2005 World Championships, as she ended up as the winning the gold. Paul Oberjuerge, (909) 386-3865 paul.oberjuerge(at)sbsun.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Apolo Anton Ohno comes away with the bronze as South Korea's Ahn Hyun-Soo (front) celebrates winning the gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize . Mark Baker/Associated Press |
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