In ancient Greece, Apollo was the god of war. During the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, taking place in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, February 12-28, Team USA’s Apolo Ohno is the god of short-track speed skating.
Bandana Boy
Just like Shaun White, the snowboarder, he is easy to spot because of his bright-red hair, Apolo Ohno can be identified by his signature bandana that’s usually tied around his head. He’s also got a unique facial-hair feature called a “soul patch” – it’s a tiny bit of beard right in the middle of his chin.
Apolo Ohno Skating
Born & Bred
Apolo was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 22, 1982. His unique first name was given to him by his dad, who combined the Greek words “Ap” (“steering away from”) and “Lo” (“look out, here he comes”). Apolo’s middle name – Anton – means “priceless,” and he also has a nickname – Chunkie. He started getting interested in short-track speed skating when he was just 12 years old, while he was watching the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer on TV. That may sound young to you, but in the world of sports, 12 is actually a pretty late start. But against all the odds, Apolo became the best short-track speed skater in the entire US after just two years of practice!
Medal Man
Apolo can claim lots of wins to his name:
- 2000, 2003 and 2005 World Cup champion
- Five Olympic medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze)
- 12 overall national titles
Dancing King
In 2007, Apolo became a bit of a TV celebrity when he won season four of Dancing With The Stars. He and partner Julianne Hough beat celebs Joey Fatone and Laila Ali in the final round, when Apolo got perfect 10s from all three judges on two of his dances, and a 28 out of 30 on the third.
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