Career Timeline of Apolo Ohno: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Apolo Ohno built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Apolo Anton Ohno is a retired American short track speed skater and an eight-time Winter Olympics medalist. His achievements have led to his induction into both the International Sports Hall of Fame (2017) and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (2019).
1996: Started training full-time
In 1996, Apolo Ohno began training full-time in short track speed skating.
1996: Admitted to the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center
In 1996, Apolo Ohno was admitted to the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center to train full-time for short track.
1997: Won the U.S. Senior Championships overall title
In 1997, Apolo Ohno won the U.S. Senior Championships overall title, becoming the youngest person to win the title at age 14.
1997: Youngest U.S. national champion
In 1997, at the age of 14, Apolo Ohno became the youngest U.S. national champion.
December 1999: Youngest Skater to win a World Cup event title
In December 1999, Apolo Ohno became the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title.
1999: Won first overall at World Junior Championships
In 1999, Apolo Ohno won first overall at the World Junior Championships and also won his second senior U.S. national championship. He finished fourth overall at the 1999 World Championships and earned a silver medal in the 500 m.
2000: Finished third overall at the U.S. Championships
In 2000, Apolo Ohno finished third overall at the U.S. Championships and ninth overall at the World Championships.
December 2001: Olympic Trials
In December 2001, during the U.S. Short Track Speed Skating 2002 Olympic Trials, Shani Davis was racing for a position on the short track team.
2001: First American to win a World Cup overall title
In 2001, Apolo Ohno became the first American to win a World Cup overall title and was the reigning national champion from 2001.
2001: Won his first World Cup overall title
In the 2000-2001 season, Apolo Ohno won his first World Cup overall title, regained his National title, and finished second overall in the World Championships.
2002: Continued to perform well after the Winter Games
After the 2002 Winter Games, Apolo Ohno continued to perform well in short track speed skating.
2002: Won medals at the Winter Olympics
Apolo Ohno won medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, becoming the face of short track in the United States.
2002: Weight at the Winter Games
Apolo Ohno's weight at the 2002 Winter Games served as a benchmark for weight loss for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
2002: Earned slots on the team
In December 2001, Apolo Ohno and Rusty Smith had already earned slots on the six-man team due to points earned from earlier races for the 2002 Olympic Trials.
2003: Defended his World Cup title
In 2003, Apolo Ohno successfully defended his World Cup title during the season despite declining to participate in a World Cup event in Korea for security reasons.
2003: Won World Cup overall title again
In 2003, Apolo Ohno won the World Cup overall title again.
2004: Continued his dominance by winning the World Cup title
In 2004, Apolo Ohno continued his dominance by winning the World Cup title.
2005: Continued his dominance by winning the World Cup title
In 2005, Apolo Ohno continued his dominance by winning the World Cup title.
2005: Won World Cup overall title again
In 2005, Apolo Ohno won the World Cup overall title again.
2005: Two gold medals and overall title
In 2005, Apolo Ohno won two gold medals and the overall title at the meet despite suffering from a severe stomach illness.
2006: Finished third in the overall standings
In 2006, Apolo Ohno finished third in the overall standings and was unable to defend his World Cup title from the previous three seasons.
2006: Competed in the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy
In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Apolo Ohno stumbled during a semifinal heat in the 1500 m and finished fifth. He was able to win the bronze medal in the 1000 m.
March 19, 2007: First appearance on Dancing with the Stars
On March 19, 2007, Apolo Ohno and Julianne Hough first appeared on the show Dancing with the Stars.
April 16, 2007: Perfect score for Samba on Dancing with the Stars
On April 16, 2007, Apolo Ohno and Julianne Hough received the competition's first perfect score of 30 for their Samba routine on "Dancing with the Stars".
May 22, 2007: Champions on Dancing with the Stars
On May 22, 2007, Apolo Ohno and Julianne Hough were crowned champions on "Dancing with the Stars".
December 24, 2007: Won his ninth national title
On December 24, 2007, Apolo Ohno won his ninth national title in Kearns, Utah, finishing first in the 1000 m and the 1500 m. He also finished first in the 500 m, but was disqualified for crosstracking.
2007: 2007 World Championships
From March 9–11, 2007, Apolo Ohno competed at the 2007 World Championships held in Milan, Italy, winning gold in the 1500 m due to the disqualification of Song Kyung-Taek. He also won bronze in the 1000 m, 3000 m, and the 5000 m relay, becoming the overall bronze medalist.
2007: Won Dancing with the Stars
In 2007, Apolo Ohno won the season of Dancing with the Stars.
2008: Won his first overall title at the World Championships
At the 2008 World Championships in Gangneung, South Korea, Apolo Ohno won his first overall title, placing first place in the 500 m, second in the 1000 m, and third place in the 3000 m. He earned the crowd's applause with a clean skate in the 500 m.
2008: Guest Judge on Project Runway
In 2008, Apolo Ohno was a guest judge on the fashion reality show Project Runway.
2008: Won first overall World Championship title
In 2008, Apolo Ohno won his first overall World Championship title.
2009: Reigning champion until 2009
Apolo Ohno was the reigning champion from 2001 until 2009.
2010: Creation of the Apolo Anton Ohno Foundation
After the 2010 Winter Games, Apolo Ohno created the Apolo Anton Ohno Foundation and partnered with the Century Council's Ask, Listen, Learn Program to discourage underage drinking and promote a healthy lifestyle.
2010: Retirement After the 2010 Olympics
Apolo Ohno retired after the 2010 Olympics.
2010: Endorsement Deal with Omega
In 2010, Apolo Ohno secured an endorsement deal with Omega, the maker of luxury watches.
2010: Sponsorships for the 2010 Winter Games
In 2010, Apolo Ohno secured sponsorships from companies like McDonald's, General Electric, Vicks, and Coca-Cola to support his career. Alaska Airlines served as his primary sponsor for the 2010 Winter Games, featuring his image on a Boeing 737-800 jet.
2010: Alaska Airlines Sponsorship in 2010
In 2010, Apolo Ohno was sponsored by Alaska Airlines during the Winter Games and did not wear the Colbert Nation logo.
2010: Lost Weight
In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Ohno lost over 9 kilograms from his weight at the 2002 Winter Games, enduring a 5-month 3-a-day training program combined with a strict nutritional program.
2011: Participation in Oreo's Team DSRL Sketch
In 2011, Apolo Ohno participated in Oreo's Team DSRL sketch.
July 2012: Return to Dancing with the Stars All-Stars Season
In July 2012, Apolo Ohno returned for the fifteenth season of "Dancing with the Stars", an All-Star season, paired with Karina Smirnoff.
2012: Appearance on I Get That a Lot
In 2012, Apolo Ohno appeared as a grocery store produce worker on the CBS show "I Get That a Lot".
2013: Role in Tasmanian Devils and Hosting Minute to Win It
In 2013, Apolo Ohno appeared as the character "Stone" in the Syfy Original Movie "Tasmanian Devils", and also hosted GSN's "Minute to Win It".
2013: Host of Minute to Win It
In 2013, Apolo Ohno hosted the GSN revival of Minute to Win It.
November 2014: Sponsorship of Speedskating Race
In November 2014, Apolo Ohno sponsored a speedskating race in Salt Lake City, Utah, featuring top skaters from the US, China, Canada, and the Netherlands.
2014: Commentator for NBC's coverage of the Winter Games in Sochi
In 2014, Apolo Ohno served as a commentator for NBC's coverage of the Winter Games in Sochi.
2015: Guest appearance on Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris
In 2015, Apolo Ohno appeared as the live guest during the season finale of NBC's live variety show "Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris".
2015: Special Olympics Global Ambassador
In 2015, Apolo Ohno served as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador ahead of the World Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, and continues to serve in that role.
2016: Guest Appearance on Superstore
In 2016, Apolo Ohno made a guest appearance as himself in the American sitcom television series "Superstore".
June 12, 2017: Appearance as a host in Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge Season 2 Premiere
On June 12, 2017, Apolo Ohno appeared as a host in the second season premiere of the reality-competition series "Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge".
July 9, 2017: Appearance on The $100,000 Pyramid
On July 9, 2017, Apolo Ohno appeared on an episode of "The $100,000 Pyramid".
2018: Commentator for NBC's coverage of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang
In 2018, Apolo Ohno served as a commentator for NBC's coverage of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
2018: Commentator for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games
In 2018, Apolo Ohno worked as a commentator for NBC during the Pyeongchang Games.
2019: Induction into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and book announcement
In 2019, Apolo Ohno was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and announced he was writing a book about his transition from Olympic athlete to entrepreneur.
February 22, 2021: Contestant on The Wall
On February 22, 2021, Apolo Ohno appeared as a contestant on the NBC game show "The Wall" to raise money for the Team USA Fund.
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