Apolo Ohno entered short-track speed skating competitions and was recognized as Olympic material. He won the U. S. championship at age 14 he was motivated to train hard for the Olympics. But when he went home to Seattle, he took up with his old friends. Out of shape, he finished last in the Olympic trials his father, Yukio, was disgusted and desperate. Instead of driving his son home, he dropped him at a rented cabin. It had food and heat but no phone or television. Hetelevision, he told Apolo to think about what he wanted to do. Yukio would come back for him in a week. Apolo decided to get serious about his life and his skating. Heskating he told his father that he didn't want to end up like his friends in Seattle. This time when he started training for the Olympics, he didn't let up. His hard work paid off in Salt Lake City. HeCity, he won the gold medal in the 1500-meter event and silver in the 1000-meter.