Apolo Anton Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno is an American former short track speed skating competitor and eight-time medalist at the Winter Olympics. Ohno is the most decorated American Winter Olympian and he was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 2019.
Apolo has been the face of short track speed skating in the USA since winning medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics. At 14 years old, he became the youngest US National Champion in 1997 and won the title 12 times between 2001 and 2009. In 1999, he became the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title and the first American to win a World Cup overall title in 2001, which he also won in 2003 and 2005. He won his first overall World Championship title at the 2008 championships.
Apolo’s accolades and accomplishments include being the United States Olympic Committee’s Male Athlete of the Month in October 2003 and March 2008, the US Speedskating Athlete of the Year for 2003, and he was a 2002, 2003 and 2006 finalist for the Sullivan Award, which recognises the best amateur athletes in the USA. Since gaining recognition through his sport, Ohno has worked as a motivational speaker and philanthropist, started a nutritional supplement business, and in 2007 won the reality TV show Dancing with the Stars. Ohno later became the host of a revival of Minute to Win It on Game Show Network and served as a commentator for NBC’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi as well as the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang. Ohno has expressed his entrepreneurial appetite for the technology and health and wellness industries.