Apolo Ohno Wins Record Seventh Medal

Sports News - February 21st, 2010 - Written By Bryan Cross

It wasn't a perfect race by any stretch, but Apolo Anton Ohno was able to climb his way up to third place in the 1,000-meter short-track final on Saturday to claim the bronze medal. In doing so, Ohno became the most decorated American winter Olympian in history, with seven medals.

"I really had to fight," Ohno remarked after his history making race in which he came from the back of the group. "I can't wait to watch the tape and see how I came back from last place to win bronze."

South Korea took the top two spots on the podium, with Lee Jung-su taking home the gold medal and Lee Ho-suk winning silver.

"Once I advanced to the front, all I could think of was just staying there," Lee Jung-su remarked of his victory by way of a translator.

Ohno entered the night in a lock with Bonnie Blair, with six career winter Olympic medals. With his silver medal in the 1,500-meter earlier in the games, Ohno tied Blair. He broke the tie with his bronze medal placement.

"I'm very happy for Apolo's accomplishment," she remarked.

Blair was in the crowd to watch the history-making race.

"It's a great feat for him, US Speedskating, and the United States of America. We hope that more kids will see his accomplishments and want to try our great sport that has been so good to us and taught us so much about what it takes to be successful in life."

Following his achievement, Ohno found it difficult to put into terms his accomplishment, and said he came into these Olympic games wanting to leave it all on the track.

"In my mind, that's a hard question. How do you answer that? I don't put labels on myself," Ohno remarked. "I consider myself an athlete on my third Olympic Games, working my heart out. My goal was to come out and put my heart and soul into the Olympic Games and I've done that."

In Saturday night's race, Ohno made a tactical error trying to pass, and in doing so, slipped and fell into last position with only three laps remaining. He put together a furious rally during the race's final two laps to earn another medal for the United States.

"When I moved up into second place, in my head I thought that the race was mine and I felt great," Ohno said in a post-race interview. "Then I slipped and lost all my speed again. I saw everybody flying by me and I'm like, 'Oh boy, there's not a lot of time. I'm going to have to kind of crank it up.'"

Ohno will have two more chances to add to his medal count at the Vancouver games. He still has the 500-meter and 5,000-meter relay, which will take place later this week. Ohno won gold in the 500-meter at the 2006 games in Turin.

Ohno will have to contend with the South Korean's and the Canadian's in the 500, as the American has been installed with 7/1 odds to claim gold, according to the olympic betting lines at Bodog sportsbook. In the relay race, the United States has been established with odds at 6/1.