Apolo Ohno Biography

Fast Facts

• Holds the record for most medals won by a U․S․ Winter Olympian with a total of eight
• Placed first in the 500-meter speed skating race at the 2008 World Championships in South Korea
• Began training in speed skating at the age of 14 and won his first championship, for U․S․ short-track speed skating, in 1997
• Became interested in speed skating after watching the 1994 Winter Olympics with his father
• Quote: "(On retiring from speed skating): "I've been very blessed, had such an amazing career, overcome a lot of obstacles in my life․ It's time to try some different opportunities․""
• Best known as a former Olympic speed skater and current NBC correspondent
• Is the host of Game Show Network's "Minute to Win It" and made guest starring appearances in "Tasmanian Devils" and "Hawaii Five-0․"
• Competed on the fourth season of "Dancing with the Stars" and won with his partner Julianne Hough, and was later invited back to the all-star fifteenth season
• After failing to make the 1998 U․S․ Olympic team, he vowed to train harder than he previously had so he could be the best at speed skating