Yuna Kim | Page 121 | Golden Skate

Yuna Kim

berrymuffin

Spectator
Joined
Oct 15, 2011
Why is Appolo Ohno hated in Korea?:confused:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkVRotuMbkM

Watch starting at 4:00 and see if Kim does anything to block Ohno. Ohno makes that gesture but, it doesn't look like Kim did anything to have lost his medal...

Also, this was just another incident....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VsvGO26qh0&feature=related

Unfortunately, it looks like Ohno and the chinese skater kinda bumped into each other (well honestly it looks like Ohno kinda pushes against that Chinese skater), and while trying to get his balance back, Ohno just crashes and knocks out that Korean skater.....
 
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prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Short track speed skating is an exciting sport and anything can and do happen during competitions. South Korea is one of the strongest teams in the World but going back for years Ohno was thought to have received favorable treatments with impeding etc. It continued during the last Olympics when Ohno was the beneficiary of several on ice incidents (clashes) until his luck ran out.
You are probably referring to this incident? :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DJ8o0geMvk&t=1h2m

What do you think, seniorita?

Apolo Ohno has a habit of trying to squeeze himself on the inside, sometimes even when there isn't enough space. The above example is one of them, and he actually leans on/pushes the second Canadian skater ahead of him aside and knocks him out. Just after the race is over, Ohno raises his hand and is all smiles like nothing happened and silver is his. He was rightly disqualified. (And yay for Charles Hamelin!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkVRotuMbkM

Watch starting at 4:00 and see if Kim does anything to block Ohno. Ohno makes that gesture but, it doesn't look like Kim did anything to have lost his medal...

Also, this was just another incident....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VsvGO26qh0&feature=related

Unfortunately, it looks like Ohno and the chinese skater kinda bumped into each other (well honestly it looks like Ohno kinda pushes against that Chinese skater), and while trying to get his balance back, Ohno just crashes and knocks out that Korean skater.....
To be honest, in the first case I think it was a bad call by the judge. It is natural movement for skaters to swing a little wide on the turns but resume the innermost position which is what Kim is doing. Again, Ohno tries to push himself on the inside where there wasn't enough space...but it was ruled that the Korean impeded and was thus disqualified. I could see that it could be called an impediment, but there is nothing to suggest that it was intentional, nor was it clear that Ohno had enough speed to overtake the skater in front. In such a case, the onus should be on the skater behind to pass on the outside (IMO).

In the second example, it actually looks to me like the Chinese skater on the outside pushes against Ohno first.

Hmmm, it would appear to me that having separate lanes for each skater would solve a lot of these disputes. Like track and field.
It really would, wouldn't it!? I don't know why they don't do it. The way that short-track is set up now, makes it very exciting and unpredictable, but I think it sacrifices too much fairness and "pure" athletic display. It inherently has a lot of jostling and bumping (which seems inevitable even assuming the best intentions of all the skaters) and the Korean skaters, while considered some of the best and spectacular, also seem to be considered one of the more aggressive bunch (i.e. I've seen them push too. :p ) Creating separate lanes would at the least, create some better boundaries on personal space when passing. And I repeat, the onus should be on the skaters who are behind to pass on the outside.
 
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Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Short track is like a horse race - knowing when, where, and how to squeeze through the crowd is a crucial skill. Funny they actually have lanes for long track when only two skaters go head to head. Hmmmm.

The funniest ever winter sport event is when Steven Bradbury of Australia won 1,000Km Gold in 2002 Olympics by being way back as the underdog. But I guess the Chinese, Americans, and especially the Koreans don't think it's so funny as shown in the clip chosen by berrymuffin above.

Another funny one that had me in stitches was a long event so skaters were playing cat and mouse at the beginning with nobody willing to go out fast first. A Korean skater decided to take off and they let him since he was a nobody. He skated away from the pack and ended up tucking himself behind the last place skater and hitching a ride, looking like he was the loser. They gave up on catching up with him and it was an easy and comfortable win for the guy. I just don't remember the event or any names, just the laughs.
 
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prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Short track is like a horse race - knowing when, where, and how to squeeze through the crowd is a crucial skill. Funny they actually have lanes for long track when only two skaters go head to head. Hmmmm.
Hah, I know. Having no lanes creates an extra layer of strategy and suspense, but it's not just about making the events "cleaner"...it honestly scares me that someone might get hurt when the skaters are bunched up so close and going fast, with skates and arms everywhere and faces low on the ice during tight turns.

The funniest ever winter sport event is when Steven Bradbury of Australia won 1,000Km Gold in 2002 Olympics by being way back as the underdog.
Haha, I remember that! It must be disappointing to be a skater who gets caught in one of those wipe-outs without being directly involved...but it's the nature of the sport.
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
I once saw on TV, a sport of indoor bicyclists on a very small circular track. For a while, they all had to get behind a "pacer," some guy on a black bicycle. Then when the pacer would get off the track, they would all VERY SLOWLY bicycle around each other and stop, strategising about who would go first. Then after a while of cat and mouse, they'd all go to the finish line. There was also only one track.

I don't remember the name of the sport, but it was even more boring than speed skating (sorry speed skating fans). It's like horse racing, or greyhound racing, or Nascar, or swimming, or track and field. They're all so repetitive.
 
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prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
I once saw on TV, a sport of indoor bicyclists on a very small circular track. For a while, they all had to get behind a "pacer," some guy on a black bicycle. Then when the pacer would get off the track, they would all VERY SLOWLY bicycle around each other and stop, strategising about who would go first. Then after a while of cat and mouse, they'd all go to the finish line. There was also only one track.
LOL! Who comes up with these things??? And who signs up for them!!? HAHA. I would watch just outta curiosity.

I don't remember the name of the sport, but it was even more boring than speed skating (sorry speed skating fans). It's like horse racing, or greyhound racing, or Nascar, or swimming, or track and field. They're all so repetitive.
NASCAR is pretty boring, but short-track speed skating is fun to watch (for me)...and horseracing is awesome! (although I am torn in my feelings about it because it could be considered a form of slavery...) The best part of horseracing is that you get to hear multiple success stories for every winner: horse, jockey, and trainer. Horses are beautiful and amazing, and can have very unique personalities. You must at least watch Secretariat's Triple Crown races, if you haven't done so already! (In order of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. :points:) And I always watch the men's 100m dash every Summer Olympics; I want to know who the fastest human is.

Edit: I just noticed the new emoticon so I inserted it into this post. :biggrin:
 
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Figga

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 24, 2010
The real reason why Ohno is hated in Korea has more to do with his nationality and background than anything else, which is not too surprising given how over the top Korean nationalism can be. It's seriously off-putting at times, and that's coming from a Korean!
 
L

lowtherlore

Guest
The real reason why Ohno is hated in Korea has more to do with his nationality and background than anything else, which is not too surprising given how over the top Korean nationalism can be. It's seriously off-putting at times, and that's coming from a Korean!

You are basically saying Korean people hate whoever that has Japanese heredity. Sorry, you’re plain wrong.

I for one like many Japanese of past or present, but can’t help building some negative bias whenever I find someone like you faking own identity.

Vash01 and Mikemba would welcome you to their club (Of course, they’re just outside observers, one being an American and the other a Scandinavian, both with no whatsoever connection with Japan, as they claim). Hats off to you all, cowards..

BTW, is Ohno popular in the U.S. as a fair player? This inquiry, of course, has nothing to do with his name. I hope you’ve got it by now.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
In the US, Ohno is a guy who won Dancing with The Stars, who was announced on DWTS as having won Olympic medals, at which people said, "For what? What is that strange short track skating thingie? Did he do a quad?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i25nF5luJhY

They might have seen medal ceremonies & the post interview on the morning news. They probably switched the channel during the actual races.

He also does advertising bits.

Which is why North American people ask, "Why do Korean people hate him?"

We, as a group, don't generally follow short track speed skating.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Short track skating was new to me a few Olympics ago, and on first viewing I remembered thinking, Wow, that's a way for opponents to cut one another to ribbons. It immediately went on my list of sports not to watch, along with football, mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, and anything with cars. It's so aggressive that I don't understand how one person can be considered rougher than any other. They'd all have to be steamrollers to compete. This is the kind of sport that makes me grateful for ice dancing and track and field.

My testimonial about what I think of short track skating.
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
I like Michael Phelps because I saw him on the cover of Time Magazine wearing nothing but a speedo. I like Apolo Ohno because I saw him in ESPN's Body Issue wearing nothing but ice skates.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Short track skating was new to me a few Olympics ago, and on first viewing I remembered thinking, Wow, that's a way for opponents to cut one another to ribbons. It immediately went on my list of sports not to watch, along with football, mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, and anything with cars. It's so aggressive that I don't understand how one person can be considered rougher than any other. They'd all have to be steamrollers to compete. This is the kind of sport that makes me grateful for ice dancing and track and field.

My testimonial about what I think of short track skating.

then don't try to get into watching mushing. watching a musher on the back of a little sled being pulled by 16 amped up dogs down a gorge is entertaining to me, but I don't think you'd like the many CRASHES they end up doing. Last year Rick Swenson broke his collarbone in his fall... the crashes are incredible and death defying (so far) most get up and shake it off... I love football, some of the tackles are spectacular. I'm not a fan of the car races or their crashes, it's a bit too deadly for me... I also don't enjoy watching the crashes that some skaters have had. *shrugs* takes all kinds... but, yeah, when I start gushing about the Iditarod next March don't watch lol ;) :laugh:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Tonichelle, I'll try to keep in mind what you say about mushing! I love the idea of it but had no idea it was as rough to watch as that. You have correctly pegged me as a chicken. I'll depend on your reports about the exploits of the mushers and the dogs rather than watching firsthand.
 

Figga

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 24, 2010
If we start to take for granted and accept the view that bad behaviour of the few is a representation of an entire race, then the world would be a horrendous easily manipulated place for right wingers, racists, nationalist, or people with ulterior motives.

Yes, we are in complete agreement here.
 

jatale

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Excuse me, but isn't this thread supposed to be about Yuna? This thread has been hijacked and this debate about Ohno etc. should be moved to some separate thread.
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
This thread is very long and has been hijacked countless number of times. But I agree, it's time to move on from this topic. ;)
 
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