The Associated Press
Apolo Anton Ohno pushes Satoru Terao of Japan during the semifinals of the men's 500-meter short track race.

No more medals for Ohno

JIM LITKE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Sunday, February 24, 2002

SALT LAKE CITY -- He's already left juvenile delinquency and some of the best skaters in the world behind.

But there is still one opponent Apolo Anton Ohno can't shake. Controversy.

America's cover boy will leave these Winter Games and head home to Seattle with one gold medal and one silver, an impressive haul to be sure.

But after he was disqualified in the 500-meter race and the U.S. team upset in the 5,000-meter relay, that's still two less than Ohno's A-list promoters -- Nike, IMG and NBC -- had him on the hook to deliver. And just as memorable as how many he won was the way Ohno won them.

"This is a crazy Olympics. Anything can happen," he said afterward. "It was an unbelievable experience. I came back from injury, and I was sick, too. I'm definitely disappointed I didn't race at my best, but I had my chance to be there."

"You've got to be perfect," Ohno added, "and I wasn't perfect."

Unhappy ending

In Saturday night's 500-meter semifinal, controversy caught him in its grasp one more time. It was the third time in three races that things ended badly for short track's most recognizable star. In that sense, his sport has become a confusing metaphor for these Winter Games. Like figure skating, what you see isn't always what you get.

Ohno got off to his usual slow start and was hanging back in third place when he made his move to grab the second qualifying spot with 11/2 laps to go.

But with Satoru Terao on his right in the next-to-last turn, Ohno's outside skate blade caught the Japanese skater and upended him like a shovel dislodging a chunk of ice.

The move sent Terao careening into the padded sideboard and the judges reaching for their notebooks.

Ohno eventually finished the race in third place, then slowly circled the ice, much as he had in Wednesday night's 1,500-meter race, awaiting the judges' verdict. Unlike the last time, this call went against him.

He stole one last look at the video board, hoping to catch the replay while most of the stunned crowd sat in silence. With his quest for four medals out of reach and a few catcalls ringing in his ears, Ohno grinned and left the rink.

"The Japanese guy was wide on the corner, and I came up on him. I barely touched him. He's so light, I think he was going down already," he said.

Star attraction

Say this much for Ohno and controversy -- they both sell.

Once again, his appearance in the building made the Salt Lake Ice Center the place to be. It was packed, and the luminaries in the crowd ranged from Salt Lake Organizing Committee boss Mitt Romney to former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani to U.S. figure skating bronze medalist Michelle Kwan to one-time U.S. short track ace Cathy Turner -- the closest thing short track offers to the late Joannie Weston, the rugged "Blonde Amazon" of Roller Derby fame.

But there was no doubt in the house about who was the star.

Fake versions of the soul patch that dangles from Ohno's lower lip adorned the crowd, including a matching pair worn by one woman and her dog. Whether it's Ohno's relentless promoters or his considerable achievements at age 19 -- he was No. 1 in the world at every distance last season -- he rarely fails to provide a buzz.

Even his quarterfinal race offered a delicious plot twist.

Among the four skaters in that group was Italian Fabio Carta, whose mouth moves faster than his skates and his brain. After Ohno's disputed gold medal win over South Korean Kim Dong-sung in the 1,500-meter race, Carta, who finished fourth, said the American was lucky not to be kicked out. On the bell lap, Ohno swooped in to take the second and final qualifying place from Carta and held on to advance to the next round of the 500-meter race.

It was there that his luck ran out.

"I knew I had a little downfall after my start. I didn't really get off the line too well. But that's all right," he said after the disqualification. "I still have the relay."

Almost fitting

Oops.

With 26 laps to go, teammate Rusty Smith went down after tripping over a lane marker, and any chance the U.S. relay team had for a medal went down with him.

In some ways, the outcome was almost fitting.

The four relay skaters -- Ohno, Smith, Ron Biondo and Dan Weinstein -- were already mired in one controversy caused by last month's allegations of race fixing. Biondo had claimed he overheard Ohno shouting, "Don't pass!" during the 1,000-meter trials, supporting former Tommy O'Hare's contention that Ohno had helped his friend Shani Davis get onto the Olympic team.

But just when it seemed they put that problem behind them, down went Smith.

"I think we were in perfect position," Ohno said. "No doubt in my mind if we wouldn't have gone down and I was there in the end, I could have done some magic. But that's just how it is."

RESULTS

The United States ends a 46-year drought in men's bobsled with two medals, but skier Bode Miller crashes in his bid for a third medal.

TODAY

The U.S. men's hockey team faces Canada for the gold medal. 'N Sync will be among the acts at the closing ceremony.

TV BEST BETS

Men's hockey gold medal game, closing ceremony. CBUT, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; NBC, 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.

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