John Robert "J. R." Celski (, born July 17, 1990) is a retired American short track speed skater, three-time
Olympian, and three-time medalist in the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
. Celski has held a total of five combined Short Track World and Junior World Records throughout his career including the 500m and 5000m relay World Records as well as the 500m, 1000m and 3000m relay Junior World Records. Celski was a part of the team that broke and currently holds the World Record in the 5000m relay established in Shanghai, China on November 12, 2017.
On October 21, 2012, in Calgary, Canada, Celski became the first person to skate under the 40 second barrier in the 500m event with a time of 39.937 seconds.; He held the World Record for this distance for over 5 years from October 2012 to February 2018.
At the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
, Celski won bronze in the 1500 m and the 5000 m relay. Five months before the Olympics, Celski suffered a gruesome injury when he fell during a race and his right skate blade gashed his left thigh all the way to his femur bone and was uncertain if he would be able to skate again.
Celski's breakthrough performance was at the 2009 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships where he won five medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze). Overall, Celski has won three gold medals, four silver medals, and four bronze medals at the
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
. He also has one bronze medal at the
World Team Championships and four medals (two gold, two bronze) at the
World Junior Championships.
Career
2009 World Junior Championships
In the 500 m, Celski won the final with a time of 41.462 breaking the previous Junior World Record. In the 1000 m semi-final, Celski broke the previous Junior World Record with a time of 1:25.304. Celski finished third overall with 58 points. Celski then combined with Eduardo Alvarez, Jonathan Sermeno, and Robert Lawrence in the 3000 m relay to finish first with a Junior World record time of 4:06.032.
2009 World Championships
In the 1500 m, Celski placed third with a time of 2:14.974. In the 1000 m, Celski placed third with a time of 1:26.348. In his third event, the 3000 m, Celski won with a time of 4:48.444. Celski finished second overall with 65 points. Celski then combined with
Ryan Bedford,
Jordan Malone, and Apolo Ohno in the 5000 m relay to finish first with a time of 6:51.400.
2010 Winter Olympics
Trials
The U.S. Short Track Speed Skating Olympic Trials were held September 8–12, 2009 in
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...
. Celski finished second overall and was leading in points after the first two nights of the trials, but was injured during a crash in the semifinals of the 500 m race where his right skate sliced into his left leg; he did not skate in the second 1000 m races. His injury required
emergency surgery
Elective surgery or elective procedure (from the la, eligere, meaning to choose) is surgery that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patie ...
, 60 stitches, and five months of rehabilitation with the help of
Eric Heiden
Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958) is an American physician and a former long track speed skater, road cyclist and track cyclist. He won an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the ...
. Celski was unsure if he would ever compete again.
During the 1000 m time trial, Celski won with a personal best of 1:23.981. Celski, along with Ohno,
Jordan Malone,
Travis Jayner
Travis Jayner (born May 9, 1982 in Riverview, New Brunswick) is a Canadian-born American short track speed skater who is a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. He earned a bronze medal in th ...
and
Simon Cho
Simon Cho (born October 7, 1991) is a retired Korean American short track speed skater who was a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Simon Cho is currently the head coach at Potomac Speed Skating Club. Since ...
were the top five finishers at the trials.
Afterwards, Ohno said about the nominated team: "This is the strongest team we've ever had. I feel really good about how we will do in the next Olympics".
Games
At the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, Celski won a pair of bronze medals. One in the 1500 m and another in the 5000 m relay. In the 1500 m final, Celski won the bronze medal after 2006 silver medalist
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-suk ( ko, 이호석, Hanja: 李昊錫, ; born June 25, 1986) is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won a gold medal as a part of 5000 m short-track relay team and four silver medals in 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy. H ...
crashed into fellow Korean skater
Sung Si-Bak
Sung Si-Bak (Hangul: 성시백, Hanja: 成始柏, ; born February 18, 1987, in Seoul, South Korea) is a South Korean short track speed skater. At the 2007 Winter Universiade, he won all five short track speed skating events. Sung has won more th ...
during the final turn of the last lap. Celski was in fifth place leading into the crash and as a result moved into third place.
Apolo Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno (; born May 22, 1982) is an American retired short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist (two gold, two silver, four bronze) in the Winter Olympics. Ohno is the most decorated American at the Winter Olympics ...
moved into second place. Celski was disqualified in the 1000 m semifinals. The 5000 m relay team for the United States finished with the bronze medal. The team, consisting of Apolo Ohno,
Simon Cho
Simon Cho (born October 7, 1991) is a retired Korean American short track speed skater who was a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Simon Cho is currently the head coach at Potomac Speed Skating Club. Since ...
,
Travis Jayner
Travis Jayner (born May 9, 1982 in Riverview, New Brunswick) is a Canadian-born American short track speed skater who is a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. He earned a bronze medal in th ...
,
Jordan Malone and Celski, was in the fourth position for the majority of the race. With a strong push from Celski with two laps to go, Ohno as the
anchor leg
The anchor leg is the final position in a relay race. Typically, the anchor leg of a relay is given to the fastest or most experienced competitor on a team. The athlete completing the anchor leg of a relay is responsible for making up ground on the ...
was able to pass the Chinese team for third place; Canada won the gold and South Korea took silver.
2010 World Championships
Celski advanced to finals of the 1500 m after winning 1st place in the heats, quarterfinals, and semifinals. In the final, Celski finished in 4th place, in front of teammate
Travis Jayner
Travis Jayner (born May 9, 1982 in Riverview, New Brunswick) is a Canadian-born American short track speed skater who is a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. He earned a bronze medal in th ...
, who came in 6th. The next day, Celski competed in the 500 m. During the semifinals, Celski attempted a pass from fourth to third place, but during his pass,
François-Louis Tremblay
François-Louis Tremblay (born November 13, 1980) is a Canadian retired short track speed skater and five-time Olympic medallist who competed at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympics.
François-Louis Tremblay is one of only three Canadian men ...
of Canada, in second place at the time, fell, tripping Celski on his way down. Celski finished the race in 3rd, but was then disqualified, while Tremblay advanced. In the 1000 m, Celski finished third behind
Lee Ho-Suk
Lee Ho-suk ( ko, 이호석, Hanja: 李昊錫, ; born June 25, 1986) is a South Korean short track speedskater. He won a gold medal as a part of 5000 m short-track relay team and four silver medals in 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy. H ...
and
Kwak Yoon-Gy with a time of 1:27.515. In the 3000 m, Celski again placed third behind Lee Ho-Suk and Kwak Yoon-Gy. Celski finished fourth overall with 39 points. Celski then combined with
Jordan Malone,
Travis Jayner
Travis Jayner (born May 9, 1982 in Riverview, New Brunswick) is a Canadian-born American short track speed skater who is a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. He earned a bronze medal in th ...
, and
Simon Cho
Simon Cho (born October 7, 1991) is a retired Korean American short track speed skater who was a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Simon Cho is currently the head coach at Potomac Speed Skating Club. Since ...
in the 5000 m relay to finish second behind South Korea with a time of 6:46.205.
2014 Winter Olympics
At the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, Celski competed and placed 4th in the Men's 1500m, 6th in the 500m, and 13th in the 1000m. Celski earned a silver medal in the short track men's 5000m relay.
2018 Winter Olympics
At the
2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
in
Pyeongchang
Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...
, South Korea, Celski competed in the 1500m, 1000m, and the men's 5000m relay.
Media appearances
On February 9, 2010, Celski appeared on the TV show ''
The Biggest Loser
''The Biggest Loser'' is a reality television format which started with the American TV show ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2004. The show centers on overweight and obese contestants attempting to lose the most weight; the winner receives a cash prize. ...
'' where he introduced a pop challenge to the contestants of the show. During the segment, Celski offered words of encouragement, and showed the contestants how to use a slide board.
On February 5, 2014, Celski was featured in a one-hour special on NBC television titled ''How to Raise an Olympian''. The program, hosted by
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. She is best known as the original moderator of the daytime talk show '' The View'' (1997–2006), the original host of the syndicated ...
, chronicles the journeys of seven U.S. Olympians and features interviews from parents and coaches along with home video and photos from each athlete's childhood. The event was broadcast on television with live social media components to further each segment.
Personal life
Celski was born in
Monterey, California
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
, where his father was serving in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
. He was raised in
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. One of the most recently incorporated cities in the county, its population was 101,030 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Fe ...
. His father, Robert, is of
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
descent and his mother, Sue, is of
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
descent. Celski has two older brothers, Chris and David; David serves as a
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, and Chris is a salesperson at
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. () is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original Wallin & Nordstrom store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and ...
. Celski attended
Lakewood High School in
Lakewood, California
Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 80,048 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west and south, Bellflower, California, Bellflower on the north, C ...
, as well as
Todd Beamer High School
Todd Beamer High School is a four-year secondary school located in Federal Way, Washington within the Federal Way School District. The school was built in 2003 and was named after Todd Morgan Beamer, a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 ...
in Federal Way, Washington, graduating from Lakewood with high honors in the Merit Scholars Program. Before switching to speed skating after seeing the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
, Celski was a national champion
in-line skater. He missed the minimum age requirement for the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
by 17 days.
In September 2021, he was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in Troy, Michigan.
References
External links
*
ISU profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Celski, John Robert
1990 births
Living people
American male short track speed skaters
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in short track speed skating
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in short track speed skating
Short track speed skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Short track speed skaters at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Short track speed skaters at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics
American people of Polish descent
American sportspeople of Filipino descent
People from Federal Way, Washington