When the American short track speedskaters take the ice at the Winter Olympics next week, they'll be without their biggest star who retired after the Vancouver Games.
Apolo Ohno is the Northwest's most decorated Olympian and still the most recognized name in speedskating. At a press conference in Sochi Tuesday morning, the next generation of U.S. Olympic skaters said Ohno's legacy remains with them on the ice.
"I had somebody great to look up to in Apolo," says medal hopeful J.R. Celski, who comes from the same hometown of Federal Way, Wash., as his former idol. "He went out there and did his thing and brought home eight Olympic medals for our country He was also trying to push the boundaries of our sport and chasing that dream as well. So I try to emulate that in everything I do."
Celski will have four chances to win medals in Sochi to catch up to Ohno. He picked up two bronze medals in Vancouver four years ago.
Meanwhile, Apolo Ohno will be in attendance in Sochi. He'll do color commentary on the NBC Olympics broadcast.
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