Utah Olympic Oval, Kearns, UT
Thursday, February 6, 2003
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Key to speakers
AAO=Apolo Anton Ohno
AB=Allison Baver
AI=Alex Izykowski
BF=Brigid Farrell
CH=Caroline Hallisey
DG=Derek Gray
KF=Kira Fling
RS=Rusty Smith
SG=Stephen Gough
Q: Apolo, can you talk a little about how your life has changed since the Olympics? Can you walk down the street without being recognized?
AAO: I do, all the time, I do it all the time [in Colorado]. My lifestyle is still the same. I'm still living the athlete lifestyle. I still get up every morning and go to practice. I don't know. I'm still living the same life.
Q: Conflict between Apolo the public figure and Apolo the athlete? Is it hard to deal with?
AAO: As far as training, it's hard to deal with. Before I was used to doing everything in one week, just training straight through.... Now I have to work in media [stuff] and obligations that I have to do and I want to do.
[Next was a question about Apolo's living arrangements at the USOTC dorm. He said, "I like it" and something about Alex being his roommate, but otherwise it's all unintelligible.]
Q: Rusty and Apolo, any sense of responsibility to the youth of America?
RS: I think I've seen a few things with [Apolo] especially. I think we both hear a lot of stuff about each other more than anything else... but his books. Kids will come up to me in the club and say, 'I got Apolo's book' and they really know who he is and they've seen his journey through life and the struggles that he's had.... I've also been to many different schools in the area... and the kids can understand I've gone to that school, you know, I've been where they've been, and I've still been able to do other things in my life. I think they really can recognize things like that and when they go home and tell their parents, their parents realize, 'There is more to it than just that.' We have stories all day about parents coming up to us and saying' You did this for my kid' or 'My kid was sick and because of you he wanted to get better.' Things like that. I think those are the things that make us strive to be the best possible person we can be. Especially when we're in public. We don't want to be looked down upon. That's why amateur sports are so popular... [unlike professional athletes] it's pure, we do it because we love it. We're not making money to buy the condos and the mansions. That's not what we do. And I think they understand that.
AAO: I'm gonna have to agree with Rusty, I think [being an] inspiration is a huge part. [When you get kids that say, well, when I was sick for a time, and all of a sudden like Rusty was talking about, [unintelligible] he wants to get better just so he can skate. And that's just from watching TV, just seeing us compete, seeing our stories, and seeing the coverage...[unintelligible] It's just phenomenal.] It makes me feel good to know that people support us.
Q: There was a wire story about you Apolo, after the Olympics, about famous people asking you for your autograph. Can you tell us what famous people asked for it?
AAO: I'm not gonna name no names! [laughter] That might get me in trouble. But I did get invited to some celebrity parties and I thought it was a great idea if I stopped by and hang out a little bit. [laughter] It was fun and you know, for the most part, they're just people, they're just like anybody else. I was in awe, you know, that I was even at the Oscar party... to see all these people walking around. I'm just like, I just got this big cheesy smile...
Q: Someone asked now that Apolo's so popular and gets so much attention, is there any resentment or jealousy among his teammates. [Apolo was still holding the mike, and at this point held it up waving it around for any of his teammates that wanted to speak. It was pretty cute, and the whole room burst into laughter.]
RS: No, it's actually the exact opposite. I get that question a lot. I think it's the greatest thing in the world. Our sport is popular, one of my teammates, one of my friends is doing well. That's like asking you, 'would you be happy if your friend did well?' Of course [you would be]. Why would you not? We wouldn't have a roomful of people or a stadium full of people if it wasn't for someone like him. And I think that's one of the most impressive things. Why would we not want that?
Q: Follow up by Bill Kellick, asking Rusty what changes he's seen as a two-time Olympian from the time there was no one in the stands up through this World Cup.
RS: I am old enough to remember [when no one was in the stands except parents]. I see a big difference. When I first started, we would have rinks where we're like, 'Hey Mom, what's up?' It's an incredible feeling to have people understand what your sport is about. [tape cuts out]
April/OhnoVelocity Question to Rusty: How does the altitude affect your training [in low altitude southern California vs. high altitude Colorado Springs]?
RS: I've been training in California for the past nine months. I just went to Colorado for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Everyone was pretty much gone to the World University Games, so Apolo was going to be there by himself so [I went to train with him there] for a little bit. I've been there for a lot of years, I was there for five years so it's not a big deal for me anymore, altitude really doesn't affect me that much. I might notice it on a run or something like that. As for ice, or anything like that I really don't notice it that much. Altitude here [in SLC] is only 4600 feet or something like that, it's really not a big deal. I think that people who have lived at low elevations for a long time notice it, but I know everyone else who lives in Colorado probably doesn't notice it at all. I haven't really had a problem with any of the elevation changes.
Caroline and Derek
photo courtesy Susan G
Question about Korea's absence from SLC World Cup.
SG: Today and tomorrow the Asian Winter Games are going on. It's not an annual event, and it's a quite prestigious event. Talking to some of the athletes and coaches, the Asian Winter Games fall after the Olympics [in terms of prestige]. Unfortunately it's a bit of a scheduling quirk. [unintelligible] We may seem them next weekend [in Chicoutimi]. The Korean men's team needs to be there [to become eligible to compete] at the World Championships [unintelligible].
As for us and why we didn't attend [the Asian World Cups], there were a few reasons. For me, the biggest reason was to give our athletes a bit of a break. It's not that we weren't training, it's not that we sat around in October and didn't do anything. It just gave us more time to really prepare to be good at the international level. In October when the World Cups were going on, we competed in Calgary and at a Can Am competition in Montreal. It's just a little bit lower intensity, a little less pressure. Most of these athletes, with the Games being here in the U.S., went through a pretty extensive buildup. I'm not talking about just in an Olympic year, but the year before, there was obviously a lot of hype, press - a lot of things we hadn't had to deal with. Mainly we just gave them an opportunity to unwind, mentally more than anything. The group of athletes I have in Colorado [unintelligible]. Some of the younger guys, and Alex, they hit the ground running, they were ready to go. The other athletes, if they were on the national team, the world team for three or four years, they needed more of a break. By not going, it took the heat off our athletes from feeling the pressure of being ready to complete against the Koreans and the Chinese all over again. By putting that off, it gave us a chance to not shortsight our training. [To get ready for October] we'd have had to go harder earlier and I don't think that would have worked, to be honest... Our main goal this year is the World Championships... A couple of other reasons: one was financial, we saved $50,000. It's expensive to take the team over to Asia, two weeks in a hotel, airfare ... that was a big part of why we didn't go. The two reasons kind of worked hand in hand.
Q: What is it like to come back to Salt Lake, to an Olympic city that has tried so very hard to maintain that Olympic euphoria?
AAO: We still see all kinds of banners, the memories are still here. But for the past Olympics, we were here over that span of time, I'm sure we all just feel good to be back. Like I said, we've been back here before, and this place is comfortable. [largely unintelligible, but Apolo talks about having been sick a year ago at the Olympics and having to stay inside all the time and he's enjoying having more freedom to go outside this time around] This time it's a more relaxed atmosphere, we can go outside....
Q: Speaking of being locked up in your room, just to follow up on the Asian question with Apolo, how would you have felt about competing in Korea where everyone was really enthusiastic to see you skate? Were you disappointed that that didn't happen?
AAO: I wasn't disappointed that I didn't go. I personally was not ready [at that time in the year] to compete at the international level. I needed some more work and I actually wasn't going to go even if we sent the team.... because I just wasn't ready. But if I did go, I'd go there with the same mentality as I always do... just go there and compete [unintelligible].
Q: [Addressed to Derek, but reporter calls him Alex at first, then asks him about it being his first WC competition, although it's his third]
DG: It's my second World Cup where I'll be competing individually, [I was on the relay team at the World Cup in Russia also and Shani Davis competed individually there].
Q: Apolo, are you mentally back where you were [a year ago]?
AAO: Am I mentally back?
Q: Yeah, are you hungry again?
AAO: I'm always hungry. I'm hungry right now! [much laughter] That's... Rusty can tell you that better than anybody, he's been in this sport for so long... if you're not hungry in our sport, you might as well just hang it up. There's no reason to be in your sport anymore. That's what makes [our sport] so special. Every year it seems like there is somebody who has improved so much and they're hungry to win. For us to be able to stay on top, we have [to stay hungry] even more. The fire in me never stops burning. I go to sleep with it. [unintelligible, but something funny, along the lines of having to get up and get something to eat, leading to laughter]
Stephen, Allison, Caroline
[At this point, the formal press conference ends and several reporters - and I - approach Apolo.]
Question about whether he's at the peak of his game or has a lot of time left in his sport.
AAO: I don't know, I'm just taking it year by year. As far as age, I don't think I'm near my physical peak yet. My coaches tell me I can go for at least two more Olympics. Whether I want to be in the sport that long, it all depends. My mind could change tomorrow. Right now I'm focused on this year and my goals. It's all about a process, I've got my schedule down for the next four years....
Question about whether AAO experienced the year after the Olympics as a downer in any way.
AAO: I wouldn't say a downer, no, I don't think I did.
Post-Olympic whirlwind, what was it like?
AAO: It was crazy for me, I was saying no so many times. If I didn't, I'd have probably gotten no sleep. There was a good three months where I was traveling pretty much every single day. It's slowed down now, which is kind of nice.
Have you turned down offers to be on TV?
AAO: Yeah! Even like, movie offers. A movie is like, minimum five months. I don't have the time. I would love to do it, but [skating] is my first love and pretty much everything revolves around training.
Did you ever have any doubt about [continuing to train]?
AAO: Yeah! It enters your mind, but then, as soon as I get on the ice, I realize this is what I love. I don't know, it's just something, I feel like, if I can go out there every single day... I pretty much always want to be at the ice rink training, no matter how hard the workouts are. No matter how bad my day is going, I'm still there, day in, day out. it's the just the sheer love for the sport and competing.
Q: What was it like when you first got back into training after the Olympics?
AAO: For the first 2 weeks, I thought I was a little behind. It was nice that Rusty wasn't out there [to give me a hard time]. So I kind of relaxed and ... I'm kind of the senior on the guy's team [in Colorado Springs now].
Ron Judd: you're the old man!
AAO [laughs]: Yeah, at the age of 20!
NN: When was it that you got back into training?
AAO: I started in May slowly. Not seriously, though. Probably late June.
NN: In Bormio you said you were happy to have performed so well because you felt like you weren't in as good shape as the other guys out there. Do you still feel that way? Do you feel you've caught up yet?
AAO: Yeah, yeah. [laughs] No, not yet! I think I need a couple of more races... But you know, this is a post-Olympic year. I think once the gun goes off I think I'm going to be able to perform, hopefully, and I'm not going to be thinking about my training. It's just going to be the heat of the moment. You know, the summer training is important for me, I even train super hard in the summer. There is a lot of different stuff that I do, you know what I mean. So without that base for me, this year, it was definitely harder for me this year - strength, just getting back into cardio training.
Q: What kind of training do you do in the summer?
AAO: Just different stuff, you know. Different kind of training.
Reporter: You don't want to tell.
AAO: Noooo! [everyone laughs]
Q: What kind of movie roles have you been offered?
AAO: Everything, from autobiographies to like action star-type movie.
Ron Judd: The next Jackie Chan.
AAO: Yeah, right! [NN bursts out laughing] No, but immediately, I was just like, well you know, 'five months, that's not gonna [work]...' If you'd given me a week, I'd have probably been stressing out about it. You have no idea... I lose a week of training, [I think] everything is going down the drain.
NN: Were you surprised that you did so well from the get-go in the World Cup series this year?
AAO: I think I was surprised that I ... won both. I've always had confidence in myself that I can [perform well] at this level. Like in Bormio, I was just skating really well and everything was just kind of clicking and hopefully I can do that out here.
Q: Does it help you skate having the experience of the Olympics behind you - does that help your confidence even more?
AAO: Yeah, Rusty and I were just talking about it the other day and we said, 'No matter how bad we do, we still know that we have those medals at home. They say once you're an [Olympic medalist] you're in that top 1 percent of all athletes and that's going to be with me for life. It's almost like you have nothing to prove, you know what I mean. It just feels so good to know you've already performed at the ultimate competition, on the center stage, in your hometown. There's nothing better than that. But you know, we're still hungry to keep doing well and competing. [I guess] that's why we're here still.
NN [conspiratorially]: Apolo, when is your web site gonna launch?
AAO [stage whisper]: I don't know! [laugh] Soon! Maybe two weeks. Maybe. I've been trying to pay attention. My dad's been working on it.
Ron Judd: Is that what he's doing with all his time? Every time I call him, he's like 'Busy!
AAO: My dad's always busy, though.
Q: Does the audience make a big difference to you when you compete, having them behind you?
AAO: Sometimes. I think before the gun goes off, I hear them, and then after the gun goes off, I don't' hear anything. [unintelligible] I can grab energy from that, like at the Olympics. I was tired! But 15,000 people screaming my name [can energize me].
NN: Hey, I have another question for you, actually. I don't know if you know that I interviewed [Stephen Gough], for Ohno Zone?
AAO: Yeah, he told me that.
NN: Okay yeah, well I asked him this, and I want to ask you for your perspective, too: You spoke really highly of him in your book. What is it about his coaching style that works so well for you?
AAO: His coaching style is pretty laid back, you know. I'm sure you guys saw that in Italy. He's pretty laid back, but he was on the '94 Olympic team, he used to live with Marc Gagnon, who is one of the legends in speedskating. For like 6 [years] he never placed less than second. That's never going to be duplicated within our sport again. It's just not gonna happen. I don't know, when [Stephen] watches skaters, he has the eye ... he really sees what's wrong technically [lots of unintelligible stuff, the people in the room were ROWDY! lol] And he's seen, you know Marc, he's crazy with his training. So I get some of that knowledge from him. Steve has been on the World Cup circuit for so long and he's paid attention. Him and Tony both. It's kind of nice to have someone who has competed at the World Cup level and at the World Championship level to be coaching. He knows what it takes, and what it takes to be No. 1.
NN: What's it like to be coached by someone you once competed against?
AAO: It's kind of funny [smiling]. Next time you talk to him you should ask him who won.
NN: I did ask him about the race...
AAO: He didn't tell you, right?
NN: he was like, 'oh I don't remember much about that race!'[Apolo and I laugh] He said he was around long enough to compete against the best of the 80s through the best of the 21st century.
AAO: MM-HMMM! Yep! I was actually on the same World team as [Assistant Coach] Tony [Goskowicz] in 97 and I skated with [Assistant Coach] Scott Koons once. I've almost skating against everybody, when I was like 14.
NN: You have a lot of Ohno Zone fans here this weekend.
AAO: [you can hear him smiling] I know, I saw that.
NN: We'll be able to make a lot more noise than we could in Italy.
AAO: I know! I just gotta breathe! [rowdy crowd drowns out my tape again]
NN: Do you get nervous anymore when you compete?
AAO: A little bit. I don't know, not nervous, I think I'm just anxious. I don't think I get nervous. I never really got nervous, I think, except for the Olympics.
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