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Post by Laura (Lori) on Nov 2, 2009 21:36:55 GMT -8
Set your DVR's for the Today Show, Wednesday, Nov 4 - JR! ;D
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Post by rinkydink on Nov 4, 2009 18:15:51 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2009 22:49:35 GMT -8
Just now had time to watch the segment. Nice segment. Can't wait to see future snippets!
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Nov 5, 2009 9:48:57 GMT -8
Thanks for the video link, rinkydink! Here are some screengrabs: On a non-JR note: Is there anybody who loves these Closing Ceremonies duds??? I'm not a fan...
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Post by bubblebuttsbabe on Nov 5, 2009 18:15:16 GMT -8
24 Hour Fitness Announces Partnership with Six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hopefuls for 2010 Winter Games in VancouverWed Nov 4, 2009 9:00am EST Athletes to Develop Signature Workouts for Club Members and Spearhead "We Are All Athletes" Integrated Marketing Campaign SAN RAMON, Calif.--(Business Wire)-- 24 Hour Fitness, the largest privately-owned U.S. fitness chain and the Official Fitness Center Sponsor of the 2010 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, today announced its partnership with six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls for the 2010 Games: snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, pairs skater Rockne Brubaker, short track speedskater J.R. Celski, Paralympic skier Chris Devlin-Young, speedskater Tucker Fredricks and skier Julia Mancuso. The athletes have joined Team 24 Hour Fitness as they strive toward making the 2010 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team and medaling this winter at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. As members of Team 24 Hour Fitness, these athletes will appear in the brand`s Olympic marketing campaign, make promotional appearances at local clubs, and develop signature workouts for members that will be available in-club and online at www.24hourfitness.com and on the company`s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/24hourfitnessinc. "24 Hour Fitness is proud to continue its support of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and to help these athletes in their pursuit of capturing gold in Vancouver," said Carl Liebert, chief executive officer, 24 Hour Fitness. "These athletes are terrific ambassadors for promoting fitness and their exclusive signature workouts can help guide all of our members no matter what their fitness goals, whether it is to run a 5k or win a gold medal at the Olympics." Since it was founded in 1983, 24 Hour Fitness has supported many elite athletes across a multitude of sports and is proud to add the following six athletes to Team 24 Hour Fitness. For more information on each athlete visit www.24hourfitness.com/goteamusa: Gretchen Bleiler (halfpipe snowboarding) - 2006 Olympic silver medalist in women`s halfpipe, member of 2006 U.S. Olympic Team, three-time X Games gold medalist Rockne Brubaker (pairs figure skating) - reigning U.S. National Champion in pairs figure skating J.R. Celski (short track speedskating) - five-time medalist at 2009 World Championships - gold (5000m relay, 3000m), silver (overall), bronze (1000m, 1500m); nominated to the U.S. Olympic Committee for inclusion to the 2010 Olympic Team Chris Devlin-Young (Paralympic alpine skiing) - four-time medalist (two gold, two silver) in Paralympic alpine skiing, member of the 1994, 2002, and 2006 U.S. Paralympic Teams Tucker Fredricks (speedskating) - member of 2006 U.S. Olympic Team Julia Mancuso (alpine skiing) - 2006 Olympic gold medalist in giant slalom, member of the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team, and reigning Giant Slalom and Combined National Champion As part of its partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), which launched in 2003, 24 Hour Fitness offers eligible U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls free and reduced rate club memberships to support them as they train in their hometowns. Additionally, 24 Hour Fitness is proud to support the U.S. Olympic Movement by sponsoring US Speedskating. As part of its sponsorship, 24 Hour Fitness has been named the official health and fitness club of the national governing body and has use of US Speedskating trademarks and images, onsite signage at select events, US Speedskating website presence, and athlete appearances. Through its support of the USOC and National Governing Bodies, 24 Hour Fitness is one of the largest supporters of amateur athletics in the country. As the Official Fitness Center Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, 24 Hour Fitness is also helping the athletes train for the Vancouver Games by providing state-of-the-art equipment and expertise to U.S. Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Chula Vista, Calif.; and Lake Placid, N.Y. Furthermore, the company has supported the USOC`s efforts in providing specialized training to the USOC Paralympic Military Sports Camp in San Diego. 24 Hour Fitness continues to work closely with the USOC Sport Performance team and is currently making enhancements to the U.S. Olympic Training Centers and other U.S. Olympic training sites to help the team optimize its performance in Vancouver. "I`m proud to once again be a member of Team 24 Hour Fitness," said Bleiler. "Training plays such an integral role in any athlete`s success. 24 Hour Fitness ensures that my teammates and I perform at our very best by outfitting the Olympic Training Centers with state-of-the-art equipment and providing access to all of their clubs so we can train no matter where our competitions take us." This will be the fourth Olympic Games for which 24 Hour Fitness has supported America`s Olympic Team, having previously partnered with the USOC for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
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Post by bubblebuttsbabe on Nov 6, 2009 17:23:43 GMT -8
Source: sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=4629857Celski back on track 2 months after scary crashAssociated Press J.R. Celski could hear his mother screaming. The 19-year-old rising star had crashed right in front of his parents during the U.S. short track speedskating championships Sept. 12, and the first few inches of his right skate blade sliced into his left leg near the knee. The blade cut through the muscle to the bone, spilling blood on the ice. "I look down and I see this thing I've never seen before in my life: It's like a rainbow assortment of colors," Celski said Wednesday in New York. "I put my head back and said, 'It's over; it's done."Less than two months after the terrifying accident, Celski is confident he'll be ready to compete in February's Vancouver Olympics.After surgery and six weeks on crutches, he's preparing to return to the ice soon. Celski is working on his rehab with Dr. Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals in speedskating at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics before becoming an orthopedic surgeon. "It makes me confident and I trust him," Celski said. "He's a very trustworthy guy, and he's been doing this for a long time. He's been in my position with skating before and he knows what injuries are." The greatest challenge physically has been regaining the full range of motion in his leg. The greatest challenge mentally will be pushing the memories of the crash out of his head. "I didn't go into shock, so I remember every feeling of pain that I had," Celski said. "Everything before the surgery was very intense for me." - - - - - - There is more to this article, but I posted the part with JR in it. The rest is Winter Sports.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2009 13:37:46 GMT -8
From Teen Vogue:
Last week, I went to an event that marked 100 days until the Olympics and got to interview some athletes. I am so excited for this year's Olymics to come-- most of all, because I want to see 19 year old short track speed skater JR Celski win. The Federal Way, Washington native has had a tough past few months. While training, the blade of one of his skates went through his leg and tore a muscle. Some thought he wouldn't be able to recover in time for the Olympics but JR has been speeding through recovery the same way he competes in the rink. This Olympic athlete is in for the gold!
How and when did you get into speed skating? I started skating at 3 years old. My brothers, father, and I would go to our local skate rink.
What do you love about it? The mental aspect. There's room for both error and opportunity in racing.
What goes through your mind when you're competing? I focus on one thing at a time. Whether I'm passing or accelerating, it's one thing at a time.
What's your diet like? I eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, pasta, and rice.
What's your favorite food? Korean BBQ. Well, no, my favorite food is lumpia!
Do you have a favorite skating memory? Coming across the finish line in the 3000-meter race at the World Championship!
What kind of music do you listen to? I heard that you play guitar. Acoustic or electric? Do you have a favorite song to play? I listen to a lot of indie rock, underground hip-hop, and indie folk. My favorite song is "Lump Sum" by Bon Iver. I play an acoustic guitar and I'm self-taught.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I hang out with my buddies, go to concerts, and travel. I love to travel--my favorite places are Amsterdam and Holland!
If you weren't an athlete, what would be your profession? Something having to do with international business relations. I love different cultures and people...it's necessary to see what other countries are up to!
You just suffered an accident in the rink. How has it changed your training? I severed a muscle so I haven't been able to skate for two moths, but I've been in Colorado Springs with Dr. Eric Heiden who has been helping me rehab it back to normal. I had to set some different goals for myself, but my ultimate goal is to win the gold metal at the Olympics!
Do you have a skating hero? Someone you look up to? Wilma Boomstra. She's my coach, but she's also a skater and she's taught me everything I know.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? Owning some kind of business--I want to be an entrepreneur, and either have my company here or overseas.
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Post by bubblebuttsbabe on Nov 17, 2009 3:13:46 GMT -8
Source: www.ctvolympics.ca/short-track-skating/news/newsid=19909.htmlRecovering Celski scouts the competitionThe Canadian Press By Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press Posted Monday, November 16, 2009 2:20 PM ET MONTREAL - J.R. Celski's left thigh looks like it's been recently devoured by a shark. A nasty pink scar circles the short-track speedskater's leg with dozens of jagged lines from where doctors sewed his flesh back to together. In reality, it was his own knife-like speedskate that sliced right to the bone in September, temporarily sidelining one of the United States' brightest hopes for the Vancouver Olympics. Celski, who watched the recent World Cup meet in Montreal from the stands, says he felt it all that fateful day at his the U.S. Olympic trials. When he slammed into the boards from a fall, his skate jammed into his thigh, creating a gruesome pool of blood on the ice. He was rushed into surgery and received 60 stitches. "I took a lot of antibiotics. They scared me kind of, and said if I didn't take my antibiotics they'd have to open my leg up again and wash it out,'' says Celski, who is 19 but looks younger. "I made sure I did that.'' Celski's accident was big news in the short-track speedskating community, where he was already being recognized as a major threat by his international competitors.
There were murmurs that he would soon replace Apolo Anton Ohno as the most successful American in the sport, as he took home a collection of medals from a springtime meet in Vienna.If anything, his crash was a reminder of how dangerous short-track can be, with its incredible pace and closerthanthis passes. Celski's message to his competitors is that he'll be back on his skates later this month, and they'll see him in Vancouver. "I'm confident that I'll be back, but it's just a matter of where I'll be at in my cycle, if i'm going to peak or not or if I'm going to be able to go full speed or not,'' he said in a recent interview. "I'll be back, but I'm thankful I'll be able to skate again.''Celski grew up in Federal Way, Wash., like Ohno, and was inspired by him to join the sport after watching Ohno win gold and silver at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. At 14, he moved with his brother to California to seek better training. His father is of Polish descent, and his mother Filipina. He's come out to this month's World Cup meets to "get a little bit of a booster,'' but also to scope out what the competition is doing. "It's always the same four countries: Canada, Korea, China and the U.S.. I'm always looking at those four as the top prospects for the Games, especially the Koreans. You know they're always the powerhouse coming into every meet. Canada's looking strong as well.''He refers to the two Canadian coaches on his team, Guy Thibault and Larry Daignault as "awesome people.'' Has he considered that he might have to settle for a future Games to take home medals? "I haven't really thought about that. I'm 19 years old, and I'd be dumb to say I wouldn't be able to skate another Olympics. I'm just going to take it one step at a time,'' says Celski, who began as an in-line skater.
"I'm going to go experience my first Games, and get that out of the way before I decide what I want to do.''
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Nov 30, 2009 13:56:00 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 1, 2009 16:21:43 GMT -8
And another one today, this one is from USA Today: Celski Back On Track After CrashBy Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY / December 1, 2009One of J.R. Celski's first coherent thoughts, after he reacted to the pain, to the pool of blood on the ice, to the fact that he could see bone through the 7-inch gash just above his left knee, was this: "It's over."... Read the full article at: www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/speedskating/2009-11-30-celski_N.htm+++ He said it to his mom as he was being lifted on a stretcher, to be carried from the rink where days earlier he made headlines by beating five-time Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno in the U.S. Olympic trials for short-track speedskating. He told his coach, Wilma Boomstra, the same thing just before he went into surgery. "As I looked at my leg cut open, I thought that the Olympics were gone," says Celski, who was leading a 500-meter semifinal race on the last day of trials when he crashed and sliced his leg with his right blade. "Just the fact that I've been working for this my whole life and for something this major to happen prior to the Games, it was devastating." SHOOTING THE ROCK: Plys preps for Vancouver Two months later, he has a different thought: Maybe it's not over. The short-track competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, less than a three-hour drive from Celski's hometown of Federal Way, Wash., begins Feb. 13. Celski rejoined the national team last week at its Kearns, Utah, headquarters to resume training. "If anybody can do it, he can," Boomstra says. "Yeah, he lost about 15 pounds of muscle. But when you are a young athlete and in the shape he's in, the muscle memory, the tone comes back super quick." In the months and especially in the days before his injury, Celski's speed branded the 19-year-old an Olympic medal contender. At the world championships in March, he won gold in the 3,000-meter individual and the 5,000 relay and bronze in the 1,500 and 1,000. In the 3,000, he edged South Korean star Lee Ho-Suk and was more than eight seconds ahead of Ohno. "That was a big breakthrough for me," Celski says. Celski opened the Olympic trials with wins over Ohno in the nine-lap time trial and a 1,500 race. Celski later was third in a 1,000 race and second in another 1,500 (Ohno won both). "J.R. skates amazing," says Ohno, whose performance in the 2002 Olympics inspired Celski. "Technically, he skates so well. He's so light, and he's got a very, very light natural body weight. That helps tremendously." Celski, 5-8, 138 pounds, qualified at trials for nomination to the Olympic team in the 1,000 and 1,500, which he found out soon after surgery. "That really lifted our spirits," says Celski's mom, Sue. "By then I was thinking, no, it's not done. I know it's not done." Celski headed to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for rehabilitation. He was on crutches for six weeks. While his potential Olympic competitors were skating in the four World Cup competitions this season, he spent his days getting painful massages to break up the scar tissue in his leg, doing flexibility exercises and plyometrics and swimming and cycling for fitness. In mid-November, he stepped back on the ice for the first time. He called Boomstra immediately afterward and asked if she was ready for Vancouver. "I'm like, 'I'm ready, are you ready?' " she says. "He says, 'Oh, we're going to do it, we're going to do it for sure.' " In the summer of 2008, Celski called Boomstra from the 2010 Olympic short-track venue. His family had driven up for a visit. "You'll never guess where I'm standing," he said to Boomstra. He was looking at the rink where in February he could complete a remarkable comeback. "I know that I'm capable of anything," he says. "The only thing that's going to limit me is my mind-set." [/img]
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 12, 2009 23:44:28 GMT -8
JR is featured in several segments of this series, and they're all quite interesting: NBC Learn interviews athletes, coaches, and scientists in this original 16-part series, and unravels the physics, biology, chemistry, and materials engineering behind the Olympic Winter Games. The Science of the Olympic Winter Games is made possible through a partnership with the National Science Foundation. www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/learnLook for the section on the lower right called "The Science of the Olympic Winter Games", then click 'Watch Videos' JR is featured in the following segments: Blade Runners: Short Track SpeedskatingThe Science of Skatesand (to a lesser extent) Competition SuitsAnd believe this or not: The Science of Skates section mentions Boots & Blades! Go on, see if you can find it. Hint: it's almost at the end...
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 23, 2009 22:01:44 GMT -8
U.S. speedskaters Ohno and Celski ready for 2010 Olympics By CASEY OLSON, Federal Way Mirror Sports editor - December 23, 2009Two of the members of the United States men’s short track speedskating team got their starts at the Federal Way skating rink.
...Celski is also on the verge of stardom. Even before taking the ice for his first Olympics, Celski has snagged sponsorship deals from big-time companies like Nike, 24-Hour Fitness, Oakley, Comcast and the AIM Companies.
Those could grow exponentially, like Ohno’s did, if Celski is able to win one or more gold medals in Vancouver. We will see.
But I can’t wait to watch coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I remember sitting in Celski’s living room five years ago and interviewing a wide-eyed 15-year-old about moving to California to take his short track career to another level...Read the entire article at: www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/fwm/sports/80031342.html
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2009 22:31:05 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2010 8:43:08 GMT -8
I love seeing these endorsements. From Cincinnati.com January 7, 2010 P&G adds to Olympic endorsersBy David Holthaus dholthaus@enquirer.com Procter & Gamble has signed up 10 more U.S. Olympic Team athletes, including U.S. figure skating champion Sasha Cohen, who will help pitch its products. The athletes are part of a broad marketing agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee that involves 17 P&G brands and extend through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to Cohen, the just-signed athletes are: Rockne Brubaker, pairs skating; J.R. Celski, short track speedskating; Julie Chu, hockey; Chad Hedrick, long track speedskating; Nicole Joraanstad, curling; Julia Mancuso, alpine skiing; Keauna McLaughlin, pairs skating; Noelle Pikus-Pace, skeleton; Seth Wescott, snowboarding. They'll be featured in P&G television advertising, public relations, in-store merchandising, and mobile, digital and direct mail ads. They join six other Olympic athletes, including short track speedskating medalist Apolo Ohno, already signed by P&G.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2010 12:13:07 GMT -8
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