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CNN Live Today

Apolo Anton Ohno Discusses Being One of 'People''s 50 Most Beautiful People

Aired May 03, 2002 - 10:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: You are perfect. "People" magazine is out with its list of the 50 most beautiful people, and we have one of them with us here today. We have been teasing you about a mystery. Well, our mystery guest is not only considered a good looking guy. He is also an Olympic champion.

Apolo, take a look in that camera right there and let America take a look at Apolo Anton Ohno. He took home the gold and silver at the Winter Games. He is with us right here in Atlanta, and yes, he is in the latest issue of "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. You said you haven't seen this.

APOLO ANTON OHNO, U.S. SPEED SKATER: I haven't seen it yet. I know.

KAGAN: Do you want to check out?

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: I think there are pictures so people at home can see it.

OHNO: That's crazy.

KAGAN: That's a pretty sexy little pose there, Apolo.

OHNO: I don't remember that one.

KAGAN: You don't remember taking that picture?

OHNO: I think this one was actually -- it was in Colorado Springs.

KAGAN: They came out there and shot the picture?

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: So I mean, let's just look at this whirlwind. Not even this whirlwind year, I mean, whirlwind the last few months, Olympic gold, silver, and now you are one of the most beautiful people in the world.

OHNO: This is pretty crazy though.

KAGAN: That makes it seem crazy?

OHNO: I can't believe that. I was pretty happy though when they told me about it.

KAGAN: How did you find out? I bet you were.

OHNO: They just told me, you know, we want to put you, but you have got to keep it real low key, you know, because they keep it pretty quiet.

KAGAN: Yes, because we have heard about people kind of leaking it, and then they take you out of the magazine.

OHNO: Really?

KAGAN: Yes. So it's a good thing you kept...

OHNO: Oh, that's crazy. I didn't tell anybody.

KAGAN: That's good. What has it been like since winning gold and silver at the Olympics?

OHNO: Busy, really busy.

KAGAN: Yes.

OHNO: But I mean, I have been traveling all over, meeting a lot of cool people and pretty much just having fun with it, you know, living it up.

KAGAN: America kind of got to know you as the games were coming on. You were on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." You were in "Rolling Stone." Before that, people were like Apolo, who? And now you are just this international celebrity.

OHNO: I don't know about celebrity, but...

KAGAN: Oh, come on. When you are in "People" magazine looking like that.

OHNO: OK. I think -- yes, definitely, the recognition (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: These pictures we're looking at right now, these are the hot pictures that were in "Rolling Stone."

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: And then the cover of -- this was a cool picture -- the cover of "Sports Illustrated."

OHNO: "Sports Illustrated," yes.

KAGAN: This was like the first week of the games I think.

OHNO: That was the one that kind of set it off, yes. KAGAN: That made it hard to walk down the street?

OHNO: Yes, and then they told me about the "Sports Illustrated" jinx, which I didn't even know about.

KAGAN: That's true. Well, let's talk about that jinx. Do you think it ended up playing out at the Olympics? There was so much hype. What -- they were saying you could win as many as four gold medals?

OHNO: Yes, within short track. That is pretty crazy.

KAGAN: Yes.

OHNO: Because as you can see, every single race is just like it can be different, you know. So I was -- I think I was pretty happy and lucky to walk away with two medals.

KAGAN: Well, what was so cool about you getting all that attention, all the attention that your sport did get? And I think it drew in a lot of people that weren't familiar with short track before that, and especially the race. What was it, a thousand meter?

OHNO: Where I got my foul?

KAGAN: Yes.

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: We don't have the actual video of that, but you didn't just fall. You were creamed. I mean, the guy, was he from North Korea?

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: Yes, who ran into you?

OHNO: From South Korea.

KAGAN: South Korea, who ran into you, and then you went into the boards there, and then somehow you managed to get up and then still get across the finish line.

OHNO: That was pretty crazy. Yes, because I mean it happened so quick, you know, I didn't even think, and...

KAGAN: So that was just all gut instinct to get up...

OHNO: Pretty much.

KAGAN: ... and keep going?

OHNO: Yes, it was instinct.

KAGAN: But you also were hurt in that.

OHNO: Yes, I actually cut my leg at the same time. I cut my leg.

KAGAN: On your own blade.

OHNO: Yes. It wasn't too good.

KAGAN: And how is that injury now?

OHNO: It healed up good. It was just six stitches.

KAGAN: No problem?

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: I had heard that Eric Heiden, he stitched you up? Is that true?

OHNO: Yes, he helped me, yes. Yes, we had our team doctor from the U.S. and then Eric, he was overseeing the whole thing. But that was pretty cool. I was talking to him about his medals.

KAGAN: I mean, he is the god of the sport.

OHNO: Yes. He is the king. No one is going to be able to match what he did -- ever. So that was pretty cool.

KAGAN: So you didn't feel -- well, one of the things I think that made people really like and respect you, I think people are out there screaming, you know, he was robbed. And you're like, you know what? That's just kind of how the race works, and that's how the sport works.

OHNO: Oh, exactly. I mean, as with any sport, you go out there, you're an athlete. So you prepare as much as you can mentally and physically. You go and perform. You give everything you can when you walk away. You know what I mean? Because everything else is out of your control. I mean, you can always protest. You can always do this and that, but that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) anything, you know. And if you can accept what you did and accept that, you know, you prepared and you skated the best race of your life or you know, you tried your best. And I have nothing to be ashamed of, you know,

KAGAN: Absolutely not. That was the race where the Australian, the crazy Australian in the end...

OHNO: Steven? Steven Bradbury?

KAGAN: Yes.

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: He was the only one left -- the last one standing, and so he crossed the finish line, and he won the gold medal.

OHNO: Yes, he did.

KAGAN: Were you happy for him? OHNO: Well, a little bit.

KAGAN: A little bit.

OHNO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Yes.

OHNO: Because you know, I crossed line, and I was -- No. 1, I was just so tired, because I was just (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Right, it was the very end.

OHNO: But I think out of everybody, I think I wanted him to win, you know, just because he was so far back.

KAGAN: And such a good guy. That was his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

OHNO: Yes.

KAGAN: You are going to have other opportunities. What is ahead for you? Are you training for 2006?

OHNO: As far as skating, you know, I've got to start getting back on track, and...

KAGAN: Because you haven't been on skates since the Olympics.

OHNO: Well, I haven't trained at all. So I am out of shape already, you know. But I think this was a good break after the games, you know. I was training pretty hard for a straight four years. And right now, you know, I'm just kind of having fun, but you know, get a good plan together and just keep skating. I've got world championships. Each year, we have about six international world cups, which are pretty important. So I've got a lot of racing to do, you know.

KAGAN: And some training. Well, good luck to you -- congratulations...

OHNO: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... on being one of "People's" 50 most beautiful people.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, hang on. Hang on.

KAGAN: And...

HARRIS: What do you think? Will this get me on "People" magazine this year? Huh? What do you think? Can you get me -- look at this.

KAGAN: Yes.

OHNO: Yes. HARRIS: What do you think?

KAGAN: Not quite the same.

HARRIS: Huh? Oh, come on, man?

KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HARRIS: He's got (UNINTELLIGIBLE) thing. I think it would work.

KAGAN: Apolo, thanks a lot.

HARRIS: Thanks for getting above his back.

KAGAN: Good luck. Yes.

HARRIS: Thank you very much.

OHNO: Thank you.

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