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February 28, 2004
US ST Ch. Press Coverage, Day 1 and 2
US Short Track Championships Press Coverage, Days 1 and 2
Here's a selection of press coverage from the past 2 days of the US Short Track Championships:
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
- Smith steals show, but not a victory
"If Apolo Anton Ohno is the look of short track speedskating, [Rusty] Smith is the attitude. 'What he did was amazing,' said Tony Goskowicz, the United States' short track coach. 'To fall down and still finish third [in the 1500m] is incredible.' Read more
- Olympic heroine Blair remembers short roots
"[Bonnie Blair] began her career in short track and was the 1986 world champion." Also discusses 'new strategy' by Apolo in yesterday's 1500m. Read more
AP: Ohno leads in U.S. short track
Thursday Plain Dealer coverage
- Fresh faces shine in ladies time trials
- Fire on ice: Local skaters stay in chase
Posted by noelle at 9:45 AM | Comments (9)
February 27, 2004
Apolo wins 1500
Official results aren't out yet, but thanks to the AP's photo captions, we can deduce some of tonight's results from Cleveland - including Apolo's 1500m victory (looks like Shani was 2nd and Rusty 3rd)....
Apolo Anton Ohno waves to the fans after receiving his gold medal for winning the elite men's 1,500 meters at the U.S. Short Track speedskating championships Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Posted by noelle at 11:58 PM | Comments (11)
Caroline Wins 1500
... and Caroline won the ladies 1500m tonight!
Caroline Hallisey, leads the field on her way to winning the elite women's 1,500 meters at the U.S. Short Track speedskating championships Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Posted by noelle at 11:57 PM | Comments (2)
U.S. Short Track Championships, Day 2
U.S. Short Track Championships, Day 2 - 1500m
It was another exciting day in Cleveland, with some close calls and good comebacks. There is no more 3-way tie for first among the ladies!
First, the play-by-play, courtesy of Bernadette:
1500m semi: Apolo skated in the first semi tonight, grouped with Alex Izykowski, Kreg Greer, Ryan Bedford, and Anthony Lobello Jr. Apolo was really late at the start and was last off the line, giving the other guys about 3 metres head start, but with 12 to go, he already made his move, an inside pass into 1st. With 11 laps to go, Alex made an outside pass to move into first, but Apolo moved back into first place with 9 laps to go. With 6 laps to go, Alex made another inside pass to move into first, but Apolo made an outside pass to move back into first. There seemed to be some sort of a scuffle, where Apolo wasn't leading, but with 4 laps to go, he made another inside pass to move back into first, and subsequently won the race.
Apolo Anton Ohno, Shani Davis and Rusty Smith head through a turn during the elite men's 1,500 meters at the U.S. Short Track speedskaing championships Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. They finished in that order. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
1500m final: The men's final consisted of Apolo, Alex, Rusty Smith, Mike Kooreman, Derek Gray and Shani Davis. Right from the start, they were really pushing for a fast race. Rusty was leading, and there seem to be a slip-up, where Apolo had a close call, but he managed to maintain his composure (not that he was falling over himself or anything like that). Rusty was still leading with 10 laps to go when he fell (you can read the write-up on the rs.com forums), and Apolo was able to take the lead. With 8 laps to go, Derek made an inside pass to take over first, and up until the 5 laps to go mark, there were a number of passes made where Derek, Apolo and Alex were gunning for first. With 5 to go, Apolo was back in first, and that's where he stayed for the rest of the race.
The medal ceremony was pretty funny too. At the end of it, no one could find Rusty or Shani, so the officials waited for a while to see what would happen. No luck, so they proceeded with the medal presentation. Apolo was standing up on the medal ‘podium’ by himself, when Rusty comes from the right side of the arena yelling, ‘Apolo!! Wait!! Don’t go!!’ The crowd got a laugh out of that.
***
And the quotes, courtesy of US Speedskating:
1500 final: Ohno pushed the pace early in the race, sprinting to the lead with Rusty Smith. But a slight slip by Ohno on the second lap caused him to slow the pace and wait until the final two laps to make his move to the front and cross the line first.
"I'm preparing for the World Championships," said Ohno of his strategy in the race. "I'm racing like I need to race for that competition. I slipped a little bit on that turn, so I had to hold back a little."
Smith finished [third], recovering from a fall in the early going to rejoin the pack and make a run for the medals.
"At the beginning, Shani and I clicked and I went down," Smith said. "But that's short track. You take your eye off for a second and your down."
Smith also knew that Ohno's early slip changed the face of the race. "Apolo slipped very bad, otherwise it would have been a different race," said Smith.
***
1500m Final - Men
1. Apolo Anton Ohno, 2:18.673
2. Shani Davis, 2:18.906
3. Rusty Smith, 2:19.010
4. Derek Gray, 2:19.357
5. Alex Izykowski, 2:20.263
6. Michael Kooreman, 2:20.560
1500m Final - Ladies
1. Caroline Hallisey, 2:36.403
2. Halie Kim, 2:36.894
3. Allison Baver, 2:37.060
4. Marin Austin, 2:38.510
5. Kristen Biondo, 2:38.649
DQ - Maria Garcia
***
Day 2 overall standings - Men:*
1. Ohno, 68 pts; 2. Davis, 31.5 pts; 3. Smith, 30 pts; 4. J.P. Kepka, 14.5 pts; 5. Kooreman and Gray, 8 pts; 7. Izykowski, 7.5 pts; 8. Greer, 2 pts; 9. Lobello, 1.5 pts; 10. Misi Toth, 1.5 pts.
* Kooreman and Gray tied for 5th; unclear why Lobello and Toth aren't listed as tied for 9th.
Day 2 overall standings - Ladies:
1. Hallisey, 47 pts; 2. H. Kim, 42 pts; 3. Baver, 34 pts; 4. Garcia, 23.5 pts; 5. Austin, 8.5 pts; 6. Biondo, 6.5 pts; 7. Cherise Wilkins, 6 pts; 8. Jade Wheeler,
3.5 pts; 9. Erin Gleason, 1.5 pts; 10. Alice Kim, 1 pt
Posted by noelle at 11:55 PM | Comments (3)
Time Trials 1
Two more from Jennie, taken last night in Cleveland!
Apolo Ohno skates at the time trials at the US Short Track Championships in Cleveland, Thursday 2/26/04
Posted by noelle at 5:02 PM | Comments (4)
Time Trials 2
Posted by noelle at 5:01 PM | Comments (7)
February 26, 2004
MikeKooreman.com
Mike Kooreman's Official Site
U.S. national and World Cup team member Mike Kooreman has launched his official web site. There's a great pic to be seen of Apolo and Mike, in their Lake Placid days. And Mike seems to change his hair color on a regular basis. Personally, I think they should have a contest to guess what Mike's natural hair color is. Only his mamma knows for sure. ;)
Posted by noelle at 11:45 PM | Comments (8)
U.S. Short Track Championships - Day 1
U.S. Short Track Championships, Day 1 - Time Trials
This U.S. Championships is already shaping up as an exciting competition. At stake are those coveted spots on the World team as the top skaters vie to represent the USA next month at the World Championships in Sweden. Today's competition consisted of the men's and ladies 4- and 9-lap time trials. I believe the top 16 from today comprise the field that will compete for the rest of the weekend for both championship honors and the berths on the World team.
Things began fairly predictably on the men's side, with Apolo Ohno and Rusty Smith falling comfortably into their familiar 1-2 overall position. Things are more interesting chez les dames, however, with Allison Baver, Maria Garcia and U.S. Junior champ Halie Kim locked in a 3-way tie after today's time trials!
******
9 Lap Time Trial Results - Men
1. Apolo Anton Ohno, 1:26.370
2. Rusty Smith, 1:26.913
3. Shani Davis, 1:28.400
4. J.P. Kepka, 1:29.116
5. Michael Kooreman, 1:29.503
(Other notable names: 6. Alex Izykowski; 7. Anthony Lobello; 9. Misi Toth; 10. Derek Gray)
9 Lap Time Trial Results - Ladies
1. Halie Kim, 1:34.415
2. Allison Baver, 1:35.024
3. Caroline Hallisey, 1:35.425
4. Maria Garcia, 1:36.213
5. Cherise Wilkins, 1:36.332
(Other notable names: 6. Kristen Biondo; 7. Jade Wheeler; 9. Penelope Lang; 11. Alice Kim; 12. Kira Fling)
***
4 Lap Time Trial Results - Men
1. Apolo Anton Ohno, 37.188.
2. J.P. Kepka, 37.778.
3. Rusty Smith, 37.908
4. Shani Davis, 38.339.
5. Michael Kooreman, 38.917.
(Other notable names: 6. Misi Toth; 7. Alex Izykowski; 8. Anthony Lobello; 9. Derek Gray)
4 Lap Time Trial Results - Ladies
1. Maria Garcia, 41.253
2. Allison Baver, 41.603
3. Caroline Hallisey, 41.631
4. Halie Kim, 41.728
5. Cherise Wilkins, 42.018
(Other notable names: 7. Alice Kim; 8. Jade Wheeler; 9. Kira Fling; 10. Penelope Lang; 12. Kristen Biondo)
***
Day 1 overall standings - Men:* 1. Ohno, 34 pts; 2. Smith, 17 pts; 3. Kepka, 14.5 pts; 4. Davis, 10.5 pts; 5. Kooreman, 5 pts; 6. Izykowski, 2.5 pts; 7. Toth, 1.5 pts and Lobello, 1.5 pts; 9. Adam Duncan, 0.5 pt
* Toth and Lobello tied for 7th
Day 1 overall standings - Ladies:* 1. Baver, Garcia, and H. Kim, 21 pts; 4. Hallisey, 13 pts; 5. Wilkins, 5 pts; 6. Biondo, Wheeler, and Erin Gleason, 1.5 pts; 9. A. Kim, 1 pt; 10. Marin Austin, 0.5 pt.
* Baver, Garcia H. Kim tied for 1st; Biondo, Wheeler and Gleason tied for 6th.
More info: Ohno, Kim and Garcia Win Time Trials at U.S. Short Track Championships
Posted by noelle at 10:06 PM | Comments (16)
US ST Championships Predictions
U.S. Short Track Championships - Official Ohno Zone™ Predictions
We're going to go out on a limb here at OZ and make some predictions as to how this weekend's competition is likely to shake out. (The use of 'we' is a cover, in case you couldn't tell. We aren't usually so daring.)
OZ makes the not-so-bold prediction that Apolo Ohno will claim his 6th U.S. title, with Rusty Smith winning 2nd overall. The real contest is for the number 3 and 4 spots on the men's World team. Among the top contenders are Shani Davis (coming off an extraordinary long track season), Derek Gray, Alex Izykowski, J.P. Kepka, Mike Kooreman, newcomer and reformed inliner Anthony Lobello, and Misi Toth. We think the 3rd spot has Shani's name on it. Number 4 is really anyone's guess. (While we have a suspicion, we are too chicken to declare it here.)
As for the ladies, look for Korean-American newcomer Hyo-jung 'Halie' Kim to win top honors, after her come-from-nowhere win and near sweep at the U.S. Juniors in December. At 15, Halie is too young to compete at the Worlds, so even if she wins the title, all 4 ladies' spots on the World team are up for grabs.
Allison Baver has had a very strong season and emerged as the winner of American Cup #1 last November. We think she'll finish 2nd in Cleveland Heights, which would make her the top U.S. lady heading into Gothenburg. It's likely to be close among Allison, Maria Garcia and defending champ Caroline Hallisey. We believe Caroline's experience will propel her to a third-place or higher finish, with Maria in 4th.
The 5th place finisher (and 4th spot on the ladies' team) is a wildcard. Bridie Farrell is absent as she continues her rehab from knee surgery last fall. Among those contesting that final spot will be World Cup team member Kristen Biondo and the SoCal contingent made up of Jade Wheeler, Lezleigh Jaworski and Alice Kim, plus East Coaster Penelope Lang. As with the men, OZ has no prediction for who will claim that 4th spot this weekend. Unlike with the men, it's because OZ has no idea!
***
We should note that we like all these guys and gals, and wish them all the best of luck. If only they could all make the team!
Posted by noelle at 8:43 PM | Comments (3)
Cleveland Practice 4
Here are three more of Jennie's great photos, from last night's practice in Cleveland...
Apolo Ohno at practice on the eve of the U.S. Short Track Championships, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, 2/25/04
Posted by noelle at 6:12 PM | Comments (6)
Cleveland Practice 5
Posted by noelle at 6:10 PM | Comments (3)
Cleveland Practice 6
Posted by noelle at 6:09 PM | Comments (18)
Cleveland Plain Dealer article
Ohno carrying his sport on the fast track
via Cleveland Plain Dealer
"When he goes to the grocery store, usually he's decked out in simple warm-ups, just coming from or going to another workout. Apolo Anton Ohno never shouts his very cool name and laundry list of accomplishments aloud, and he doesn't hold a marker ready to sign autographs when he's running errands." Read more
Posted by noelle at 10:28 AM | Comments (32)
February 25, 2004
Cleveland Practice 1
Many thanks to Jennie for sending in the following photos taken last night in Cleveland at the team practice - yes, the star-spangled skinsuit is alive and well. ;)
Apolo Ohno on the ice Tuesday 2/24/04 at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, prior to the U.S. Short Track Championships
Posted by noelle at 7:38 PM | Comments (26)
Cleveland Practice 2
Misi Toth and Apolo Ohno at practice Tuesday in Cleveland Heights
Posted by noelle at 7:36 PM | Comments (4)
Cleveland Practice 3
Apolo Ohno at practice in Cleveland, 2/24/04
Posted by noelle at 7:35 PM | Comments (5)
February 24, 2004
AAO is an AAU Sullivan Finalist
AAO is an AAU Sullivan Award Finalist
updated Tuesday, 2/24
Apolo has been named one of five finalists for the Amateur Athletic Union's Sullivan Award. Congratulations, Apolo!
***
From US Speedskating:
OHNO NAMED ONE OF FIVE FINALISTS FOR 2003 AAU SULLIVAN AWARD
For the second consective year, short track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno has been announced as one of the top five finalists for the 2003 AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award. The announcement was made by the Amateur Athletic Union on Monday. Known as the "Oscar" of the sports awards, the AAU Sullivan Award honors the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
“There has been an extraordinary group of athletes nominated to receive the AAU Sullivan Award for 2003,” said AAU President Bobby Dodd. “Each nominee is absolutely outstanding in their sport and deserving of many accolades. Having such remarkable athletes nominated makes the selection process extremely difficult for the voters.”
A voting body of over 800 members narrowed the field of finalists from 12 to the top five for the 74thAnnual AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award, based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism. The AAU Sullivan Award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character. The winner will be announced April 13 in New York City.
See also UConnHuskies.com article
Posted by noelle at 11:04 AM | Comments (48)
February 22, 2004
Bormio 1500m Final
Video: Bormio 1500m Final
Thanks to Maggie, the heroine of Bormio, you can now enjoy Apolo's gold-medal winning 1500m final, taped Feb. 12, 2004 in Bormio. Download it here.
Notice the blooper by the bell ringer with 2 laps to go.
Posted by noelle at 6:57 PM | Comments (15)
Bormio 1
Here's another series of Bormio shots, all taken last Thursday, Feb. 12.
Posted by noelle at 10:18 AM | Comments (5)
Bormio 2
Apolo Ohno warms up in Bormio
Posted by noelle at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)
Bormio 3
Apolo warms up in Bormio
Posted by noelle at 10:12 AM | Comments (2)
Bormio - 1500m Semi Start Line
Bormio - 1500m Semi Start Line
Pieter Gysel (BEL), Apolo Ohno (USA), Jiajun Li (CHN), Nam-kyu Cho (KOR)
Posted by noelle at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)
Bormio - 1500m Semi
Bormio - 1500m Semi
Apolo bides his time between Nicola Rodigari and Jiajun Li
Posted by noelle at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)
Cleveland PD Article
From today's Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Olympic sports lover's dream
"In the city and in the suburbs they are preparing, readying for the stars that will surely be there and the crowds they hope will come. The U.S. Short Track Speedskating national championships run Thursday through Sunday at the Cleveland Heights Community Center. The event is headlined by 2002 Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno." Read more
Posted by noelle at 9:15 AM | Comments (12)