KIDWCKED
02-14-2010, 05:48 PM
c\p from espn
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Apolo Anton Ohno held up all five of the gold-tipped fingers on his left hand. Tucking the American flag into his arm, he put up another finger on his right hand.
Make it six.
The American who made the soul patch fashionable pulled out a silver medal in the 1,500-meter final Saturday night when two South Koreans took each other out on the final turn, allowing Ohno to tie Bonnie Blair for most medals won by a U.S. Winter Olympian.
Korea still got the gold, which went to Lee Jung-su, out front and out of the trouble that gobbled up his teammates. But Ohno had no complaints about being the runner-up, especially when he swerved into the final turn in fourth, all hope of a medal appearing lost.
Apolo Anton Ohno won the silver medal in the 1,500-meter final, tying Bonnie Blair as the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian.
"Pretty intense," Ohno said. "This is what this sport is all about."
In short track, the most freakish of Olympic sports, it's never over until everyone's across the line -- and, sometimes, even then it's not over.
Disqualifications are common, and Ohno thought he might benefit from one after jostling with Sung Si-bak with a few laps to go, even grabbing at the South Korean to keep from falling.
Turns out, Ohno didn't have to rely on the judges.
The Koreans took themselves out, costing themselves a sweep of the medal podium. Instead, the Americans wound up with both spots behind Lee -- Ohno and 19-year-old bronze medalist J.R. Celski, skating in his first meet since a bloody, gruesome crash at the U.S. trials in September.
It's the first time the Americans have put two skaters on the podium in an Olympic short track event.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Apolo Anton Ohno held up all five of the gold-tipped fingers on his left hand. Tucking the American flag into his arm, he put up another finger on his right hand.
Make it six.
The American who made the soul patch fashionable pulled out a silver medal in the 1,500-meter final Saturday night when two South Koreans took each other out on the final turn, allowing Ohno to tie Bonnie Blair for most medals won by a U.S. Winter Olympian.
Korea still got the gold, which went to Lee Jung-su, out front and out of the trouble that gobbled up his teammates. But Ohno had no complaints about being the runner-up, especially when he swerved into the final turn in fourth, all hope of a medal appearing lost.
Apolo Anton Ohno won the silver medal in the 1,500-meter final, tying Bonnie Blair as the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian.
"Pretty intense," Ohno said. "This is what this sport is all about."
In short track, the most freakish of Olympic sports, it's never over until everyone's across the line -- and, sometimes, even then it's not over.
Disqualifications are common, and Ohno thought he might benefit from one after jostling with Sung Si-bak with a few laps to go, even grabbing at the South Korean to keep from falling.
Turns out, Ohno didn't have to rely on the judges.
The Koreans took themselves out, costing themselves a sweep of the medal podium. Instead, the Americans wound up with both spots behind Lee -- Ohno and 19-year-old bronze medalist J.R. Celski, skating in his first meet since a bloody, gruesome crash at the U.S. trials in September.
It's the first time the Americans have put two skaters on the podium in an Olympic short track event.