Apolo Anton Ohno - Got Apolo? [where's your soul patch?] - An Apolo Ohno fansite

Katie: It's like Nascar on ice, the frenzied sport of short-track speedskating where wild crashes and disqualifications are all part of the game, and no one better symbolizes the sports new popularity than Olympic gold and silver medal winner Apolo Anton Ohno. Hi Apolo, how are you? Nice to see you.
Matt: Hi Apolo
Apolo: Hi
Katie: It is like Apolo mania right now. I guess you were the number one site on Lycos which is the largest internet network. People are dying to know more about you. What do you think of this? Is it weird?
Apolo: It's definitely like a whirlwind you know, definitely crazy. Like you know, one minute I'm just a skater, the next minute people are chasing [laughs] after my car you know.
Katie: Isn't that odd? and asking for your autograph...
Apolo: Yeah, it's definitely crazy
Katie: ...and wanting to be photographed with you and all that. You were on Jay Leno, right?
Apolo: Yes
Katie: I understand you were on the tonight show and there was a lot of screaming young women... [Showing Tonight Show clip]
Katie: ...which I'm sure you hated. [Katie and Apolo laugh] Was that fun or is it just a little awkward and weird...
Apolo: Oh that was a blast, sure, yeah
Katie: Was it?
Apolo: Yeah, I got to meet Jon Stewart and Jay Leno, so that was definitely very very fun for me.
Matt: One of the good things about exposure for you, you're gonna be offered an awful lot of endorsments, I mean, sponsors are gonna come...
Apolo: Hopefully [laughs]
Matt: ...well no, but has it happened already, have you gotten a lot of offers so far?
Apolo: Um, you know, I've just been so busy. Just you know, doing a lot of shows and appearances right now, so that you know, I have people working for me though, that take care of that so...
Katie: Cuz you've already been in a Nike commercial we should mention. [Showing Nike Picture]
Matt: Have you turned anything down, I mean has somebody come to you since the Olympics with just something that is ridiculous and you've said "ABSOLUTELY NOT"
Apolo: No, I haven't really, not that I know of...
Matt: You haven't turned anything down that you know of...
Apolo: No [laughs]
Matt:  No one's turned anything down for you yet...I'm thinking shaving cream, razor...
Katie: Yeah, that's what I was thinking too, but...
Apolo: Shaving it or something [grabs his chin "soul patch" and laughs]
Matt: No, I think you should leave it
Katie: Now tell me, how did this thing [points to her chin with pen] happen? [Laughter all around the studio]
Matt: This thing? [laughs]
Apolo: I don't know
Matt: You woke up one morning... [even more laughter now]
Apolo: I was eight and it was there, you know. Umm, I don't know, I had it like two and a half years ago I think. You know, no one ever really said anything about it until now...[laughs]
Katie: Isn't it funny, you know you of course probably know that on the night that you competed in Salt Lake there were all these Apolo...
Apolo: I saw that, uh huh
Katie: ...Apolo maniacs with little soul patches of their own. Did you get a kick out of that?
Apolo: That was, I didn't...
Katie: ...especially the women.
Apolo: I didn't even see it until I saw it you know, the next night on television. But that was, that was pretty good...[laughs] I liked that, that was funny.
Katie: I was there watching you skate the Saturday night, um the four man pile-up...
Apolo: uh huh...
Katie: ...which was so thrilling and then so heartbreaking all of a sudden. And I wondered actually if you thought about doing the cover of Sports Illustrated, beacuse there of course is a whole legend about the curse of being on the cover of SI. In fact, they did a cover story saying "The cover that no one would pose for: is the SI jinx for real?" You didn't even know about that when you were on the cover did you?
Apolo: I didn't even know about it until I got to Salt Lake. We had a press conference and then you know, a couple of reporters asked about it, and I'm just like "What is this guy talking about?" and then like you know, people are telling me and I was like oohh good thing you tell me now. [laughs]  You know, but I don't know, I think it didn't really bother me that much at all, you know.
Katie: Well certainly you had a major comeback after Saturday night, how are you doing with the cut on your leg? and...
Apolo: Oh it is, it's doing good. Healing up real fast you know, I mean, right after I got cut it closed up you know, extremely fast and I had some great doctors who worked on me so...it helped me out
Matt: We should mention, he's off to compete in the world championships and individual championships so you only get to enjoy this glamour for a few more days [Apolo laughs] and then it's back to work Apolo.
Apolo: Yeah
Matt: ...and it's back to work in a little while you're gonna hit the rink with him [talking to Katie]
Katie: Yeah, we're gonna go out and do a little speedskating.
Apolo: [laughs] do some laps?
Katie: I'll do skating, you can do the speedskating.
Apolo:  [laughs] Okay
Katie: and we'll be right back...
**At the Rockefeller Ice Rink**
Katie: Okay, so it may not be the speedskating oval in Salt Lake City but it's the best we could do. Apolo Anton Ohno has been gracious enough to agree to come down to the Rock Center Rink to show his stuff, to strut his stuff, to skate just a little bit but not at high speed.
Apolo: Uh Huh [laughs]
Katie: You know, so many people are fascinated by this sport because many people were exposed to it for the first time at these Olympic games and of course you became such a figure for speedskating it became extremely interested. Now I'm just curious, it's pretty dangerous, isn't it Apolo? In fact you were very gracious after you crashed, after that four man pile-up. In the 1,000 meter [shows a clip of the crash] short track competition, and afterwards you just basically said "Hey this is short track, this is the sport I've chosen..."
Apolo: Right
Katie: ..."these types of things happen." So it must be pretty dangerous out there?
Apolo: Well you know, definitely but this is the sport that I live for, you know, so...
Katie: Do you like that element of risk, that it is very dangerous and that anything can happen at any moment in time?
Apolo: A little bit, I'm definitely you know, the number one reason why I skate is for speed, you know...
Katie: Yeah
Apolo: So if I go under the boards that just kinda comes along with it. [Apolo runs hand thru hair and girls scream]
Katie: You know what struck me watching you skate, is that theres an awful lot of strategy involved, in terms of when you're gonna pass, when you're gonna build up speed, when you're gonna go for broke...[showing clip of 1,500 meter race] here you are in the 1500 meter race, and I noticed when I watched this that you were all the way in the back initially until you then made your move. A little bit late, you even conceded after this race, to get out front. Is it, how do you figure out when you're gonna go for it, when you're gonna pass the other skaters?
Apolo: Um, it's kinda like track cycling I guess. You see a hole and you just kinda take it, you gotta set it up, but um, definitely probably like for somebody who doesn't know the sport it looks a little different you know, but to me I can see it you know, like a hole like a space I can jump in to.
Katie: But man, it's not a big hole, it's not a big space...
Apolo: No it's not
Katie: ...as we saw when you tried to overcome the South Korean, who ultimately was disqualified.
Apolo: Right
Katie: You sort of went like this, when he nosed you out of that space, um but there are no clear cut lanes, so how could that be grounds for disqualification? You're not allowed if you see someone pass you on the left, to kinda block them?
Apolo:  No
Katie: No?
Apolo: No no, cuz that's pretty much blocking you know, that's cross tracking.
Katie: At the same time though, you have a little bit of space between that skater and the marks on the track, right?
Apolo: Right
Katie: So you have to really kinda....um...
Apolo: maneuver...
Katie: ...maneuver yourself into that, and that, it looks like you really sort of enjoy that part of the race. Is that true?
Apolo: Yeah, that probably is the best part you know, is the passing
Katie: And I was also fascinated by how low you got Apolo, when you were taking some of those tight turns at very high speeds. How fast are you going by the way, sometimes during those turns, do you know?
Apolo: All out, probably like 35 mph
Katie: 35mph?
Apolo: Yeah, 30-35
Katie: When you're practicing, do you ever wipeout when you're making those quick turns, and you're putting your hand there on the ice to steady you?
Apolo:  [laughs] sometimes
Katie: Can you just give me a little example of making a turn, I know you're not gonna be....
Apolo: You want me to skate? [laughs]
Katie: ...I know you're not gonna go 35mph, but just you show me for how you make the turn
Apolo: Okay [Apolo skates around the rink once quite slowly and makes a turn to show Katie]
Katie: Now you obvioulsy weren't going so fast that you had to steady yourself [Katie opens her arms as if she were making a turn and touching the ice] with your hand...
Apolo: No
Katie: ...but that's perfectly legal, to touch the track obviously
Apolo: Yeah, yeah it probably helps a little bit [Apolo laughs]
Katie: Is it a hard transition Apolo for you, cuz I know you started, as a lot of speedskaters I read started, with in-line racing and so you did roller blading right?
Apolo: Yeah, then I just kinda switched over
Katie: Yeah, but what was it about speedskating, why did you wanna make the transition?
Apolo: The number one reason is cuz, I you know, short track is in the Olympics and in-line isn't you know.
Katie: Was it hard though, when you first made the adjustment from one to the other?
Apolo: At first for sure, but you know, I definitely had a little basic background...
Katie: Yeah
Apolo: ...so it was good
Katie: You know, of course I want to tell my children someday that I speedskated with Apolo Anton Ohno, and I tried this before out on the rink, but can you just show me the very basics of how its different than regular ice skating...
Apolo: Yeah
Katie: ...in terms of the moves you make
Apolo: Okay
**Katie throws the papers she was holding in her hand out on the ice as she gets ready to skate with Apolo. [They both start laughing] Apolo takes her by the hand and a very happy Katie looks at the camera and says "Well Hello!!" Apolo then says
"so we're gonna roll..." **
Apolo: well for short track...
Katie: Kinda like that right? [starts to skate]
Apolo: Yeah, you pretty much just try to push to the side and a little to the back [Apolo laughs]
Katie: and then turn like that?
** While turning Katie lifts her arm up in the air and so does Apolo and he says "then you turn" [both now are laughing] **
Apolo: You wanna do a crossover?
Katie: Umm...No [Apolo and Katie laugh] You show me a crossover and I'll watch you.
Apolo: I think it's easiest if you just push off your toe...like that
** Apolo does the crossover **
Katie: Okay you hold my hand and I'll try a crossover
Apolo: Okay
** Katie does the crossover and Apolo laughs at it. **
Katie: Okay, what do you think?
Apolo: That was good [laughs]
Katie: Anyway well Apolo, it's been so much fun to watch you compete and so much fun getting to know you a bit...
Apolo: Oh Thank You!
Katie: ...best of luck with everything and thank you for coming by...
Apolo: Thanks for having me
Katie: ...and waking up early and skating for us this morning.
Apolo: Thank you
Katie: Good to see you again, and we'll be back.
**Returning from commercials, Katie is still out on the rink with Apolo. Matt, Anne and Al are in the studio**
Matt: Katie that was some groovy cornering work you did there
Katie:  [laughs] yeah, you know I just said to Apolo...
**Girls scream "We Love You Apolo" Apolo Laughs**
Katie: Look all these girls are going crazy...as I locked arms with him I said, "Apolo how old are you again?" and he said "nineteen" [Apolo laughs]
Katie: Can you believe it? He's a baby!
Matt: I know, kinda knocks the wind out of you doesn't it?
Katie: Yeah it sure does, but he's a beautiful skater to watch, and really it was so much fun seeing you...
Apolo: Oh Thank You
Katie: ...on the ice, I'll never forget the night we were there, we had great seats, as I said it was heartbreaking to watch you wipe out.
Apolo: Oh, that's alright.
Katie: but the race up to that point was really really exciting.
Apolo: Thank you very much.
Matt: I like when you said Katie, "I'll never forget the night," I thought you were gonna say, "We'll always have Salt Lake City."
**Katie laughs pretty hard and puts her head on Apolo's shoulder and Apolo laughs hard also**
Katie: Yeah, I'll never forget the night Apolo....
Apolo:  [laughing pretty hard says "oohh"]
Katie: ...Oh anyway, are we still on?
Matt: Yeah, yes you are.