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Apolo Anton Ohno threw up his
arms in a what-can-I-do gesture and smiled.


      The American short track speedskater had just been disqualified
in the 500 meters, but he wasn't leaving the Vancouver Olympics
empty-handed Friday night.


      Ohno returned later and anchored the United States to a
bronze-medal finish in the chaotic 5,000 relay, giving him his
eighth career medal.


      It was Ohno's third medal of these games, to go with a silver
and another bronze that made him America's most decorated Winter
Olympian. He already has the most short track medals of any skater.


      The 45-lap relay ended a wild final night of short track, marked
by crashes, disqualifications and capricious skating.


      It also might have been the final Olympic race of Ohno's stellar
career. He is contemplating retirement, although U.S. national
coach Jimmy Jang is hoping to convince the 27-year-old skater from
Seattle to compete in a fourth Olympics in 2014.


      "I never say never," Ohno said. "I need a break from this
sport that's been very good to me."


      Ohno remade himself in the months leading up to the games,
slimming down to 142 pounds - 25 less than he weighed at his first
Olympics in 2002.


      "Apolo is an incredible athlete," U.S. teammate Katherine
Reutter said. "He works harder than anyone I know."


      Ohno skated the final two laps of the U.S. relay, sticking out
his left skate at the finish before getting edged by South Korea's
Kwak Yoon-gy. Canada won the gold and South Korea earned the
silver.


      "This is very important for me," Ohno said, referring to his
eighth medal. "I train with these guys year-round. They pour their
heart and soul into this sport as well. I want to be able to share
a medal with these guys and we did. We delivered."


      Ohno slapped hands and exchanged hugs with teammates J.R.
Celski, Travis Jayner and Jordan Malone. He waved to the crowd
before skating to the boards and hugging an ecstatic Jang, a
longtime friend.


      Ohno then skated over to congratulate the Canadians, nearly
stepping on their Maple Leaf flag. He also shook hands with his
South Korean rivals.


      "He's a very excellent athlete, exceptional in every way,"
China's Han Jialiang said.


      On the podium, a roar went up as Ohno's name was announced and
the medal slipped over his slicked-back hair. He held up his bronze
in one hand and waved his bouquet in the other.


      Yves Hamelin, Canada's team leader, said he ranks Ohno among the
top five best short track skaters, along with some of the South
Koreans.


      "He's one of the smartest racers," he said. "We have to
really give a great respect to Apolo."


      Lee Ho-suk, one of Ohno's longtime Korean rivals, said: "We
have some good memories and we also have some bad memories of Ohno.
I will be sorry to see him leave the world of short track when he
does."


      The medal salvaged the night for Ohno after he was disqualified
in the 500, apparently for causing a crash in the final turn. He
crossed the finish line second behind Canada's Charles Hamelin,
whose momentum spun him into the middle of the ice as the race
ended.


      Ohno was in last place when he tried to go inside of Canadian
Francois-Louis Tremblay to move up on the final turn. The
American's right leg appeared to hit Tremblay and he crashed into
the padding.


      South Korea's Sung Si-bak also went down, although it appeared
he lost his balance.


      "There was no space between the skaters," Ohno said. "There
was a fast pace from the beginning. I had so much speed that I put
my hand up to not run into the Canadian before me. I guess the
judge saw something I didn't."


      After several minutes of discussion, during which Ohno skated
calmly around the ice, the referees DQ'd him. He smiled, fully
aware of the unpredictable nature of his sport.


      "I thought I was going to be able to snag another silver," he
said. "The referees didn't see it that way."


      Ohno managed to get past crashes in both his previous heats to
advance to the 500 final, which he won four years ago in Turin. Hamelin won the gold. Sung took silver and Tremblay got bronze.

Ohno earns bronze in relay, DQ'd in 500 final

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