First gaining notoriety as a gold medal-winning skater at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, Apolo Anton Ohno both proved his skills off the ice and became a television star in 2007 with his participation in the fourth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
Apolo Anton Ohno
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Biography by AllMovie
Factsheet
- Raised by his father, the owner of a hair salon, whom he credits for his success.
- Nicknamed "Chunky" as a kid because he was the stockiest on his roller skating team.
- In his early teens, was a national champion and record holder in in-line skating, and a state champion in swimming.
- Didn't compete in a 2003 World Cup event in South Korea after receiving death threats over his 2002 Olympic gold medal, which he received after a South Korean was disqualified.
- Wrote an autobiography in 2002 called A Journey.
- Tied with speed skater Eric Heiden as the only U.S. male to win five medals in the Winter Olympic Games.
- Participated in GAP's RED clothing line campaign to benefit AIDS in Africa.
- In 2007, was paired with dancer Julianne Hough in Season 4 of ABC's Dancing With the Stars; he competed in the Short Track World Championships until March 11, with the show debuting on March 19. The duo went on to win the dance competition.