Men’s 1500 Meter Final
The men’s 1500 meter short track speed skating final race ended with Seung-Hoon Lee and Ho-Suk Lee shutting out Apolo Anton Ohno. Anticipating Apolo’s strategy, the Korean teammates seemed to work together to prevent the US skater from moving to the front of the pack.
Working as a team during individual events is illegal by an ISU ruling. Nevertheless, countries often employ the strategy whereby teammates will fill specific and planned roles on the ice in order to accomplish a win for their country’s chosen skater. It is difficult for technical specialists to prove such a violation, but a review of the 1500 meter race skated tonight might give them some insights into what they’re missing.
It’s no secret that Apolo likes to come from behind to lead each heat. He’s typically the last skater to line up and the last one off the starting line. With two or three laps to go, he makes his move – on the outside, since the Olympics taught him about legal passing. Usually, his brute force speeds past the other skaters as he easily steals first.
This time, the Koreans were ready for him. According to the US head coaches, Apolo was shut out from the win by an illegal maneuver. Nonetheless, Ohno finished third in the 1500 final and earned another bronze medal for the event.
His coaches, in an exclusive interview, said that Apolo’s technique and strategy is top-notch. According to them, the other teams just need to play fair. American coach Jae Su Chun did mention that Apolo is at a disadvantage because he’s a one-man show. They can’t catch the Koreans because they are forced to play by the rulebook. In fact, there are no other US skaters competent in both the 1500 meter event and team-skating strategies.
USA coaches commented that they are scouring the country in search of more young speed skating athletes that can be brought up with the specific focus of becoming the 2014 Olympics powerhouse. They mentioned Apolo’s possible retirement after the 2010 games. If that happens, there are few men presently capable of carrying US Short Track speed skating on to victories.
That is not at all to downplay the talents of skilled skaters like Jeff Simon and J. P. Kepka. But the whole of US Short Track Speed Skating is young and internationally inexperienced when compared with seasoned teams like the Chinese or Koreans.
We look forward to seeing Apolo (and the other team leaders) at his best in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. However, the long-term outlook for US Speed Skating is even brighter. New American short track stars should shine just in time for the 2014 games.
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