Fil-Am Olympian on winning, being Pinoy

by Ging Reyes, ABS-CBN News, Balitang America

His Olympic victory was touted as a medical miracle. However, Celski says he’s now taking a year off from skating and is still undecided if he’s taking part in the next Winter Games.

“I’m still undecided. It would be dumb to say that I’m not gonna go to the next games, but I have other things I want to accomplish in my lifetime, maybe get into some kind of sports management of marketing, or international studies ‘coz I noticed when I traveled around the world that I really liked to get into other countries’ cultures,” Celski explained.

Celski’s mother, Sue, is a second-generation Filipino-American. His father, Bob is of Polish descent. He was born in Monterey, California but grew up in Federal Way, Washington. He still has some relatives in the Philippines and would like to visit his mother’s homeland in the future.

Asked about growing up Filipino, Celski says “I love the food, the culture, the music. Every time I go to my grandma’s house, she tries to teach me Tagalog. But I don’t know that much, if you ask me ‘kumusta ka’ I’d say mabuti.”

At the Winter Games, fans got a glimpse of his tattoo, which showed the sun and stars from the Philippine flag. Celski says he and his 2 brothers chose the symbolic image to represent brotherhood, as well as their roots.

>>Read Full Story>>>

Celski’s first public appearance post Vancouver

King 5 News

It’s a whole new world for JR Celski.

The now Olympic Bronze Medalist made his first public appearance after the games, and was greeted by a line out the door of the Issaquah 24-Hour-Fitness. Celski signed autographs, and posed for pictures with his fans.

Celski won the bronze in two short track speedskating events in Vancouver: the 1500 meter, and 5000 meter team relay. He’s now getting the attention that comes with success.

“I was walking through a store the other day and a kid said there is JR Celski! I’d rather not get that recognition but that’s cool. I get to meet people and talk to people and inspire them, and that’s what I am in this sport for,” he said.

>>>WATCH VIDEO HERE>>>

For all Filipinos, an Olympian named Celski

By Emil Guillermo, Inquirer.net

…Celski is a 19-year-old Seattle-area kid from Federal Way, whose mother, Sue, is Filipino. Celski’s dad Robert is of Polish descent and was stationed in Monterey, California, for the Army. It’s where JR was born.

Talk about hybrid vigor, the Filipino Polish thing produced quite a longganisa.

And quite an Olympian.

When you catch Celski, it’s usually by accident because you are watching him in short-track speed skating. Frankly, for the casual fan, the only reason to watch short-track speed skating at these games is because of Apolo Anton Ohno.

But is Ohno Filipino? Oh, no. Part Asian yes, but not Filipino. We still cheer him because of his greatness. No one in US history has eight Winter Olympic medals.

Between Ohno, and the women’s champ Katherine Reutter, the short-track competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics were immensely watchable.

But the future is this kid Celski, who looks like Ohno’s cousin. Again, it’s that half-Asian thing.

Celski is good, but not “Ohno-good,” not yet.

But let’s not give him short shrift. Celski is well on his way having already distinguished himself with two gold, a silver, and two bronze medals at the World Short-track competition. He’s won silver at the US Nationals. The kid’s a winner.

Celski bags bronze

by Francis Santiago, Manila Bulletin

Filipino-American JR Celski bagged his second bronze medal in the Vancouver Winter Olympics after the United States finished third in the 5000m short-track speed skating relay Saturday at the penultimate day of the quadrennial event at the Pacific Coliseum.

The 19-year-old Celski, whose mother is a full blooded Filipina who hails from Isabela, joined Simon Cho, Travis Jayner and Apolo Anto Ohno in the crack US Team which clocked 6:44.498 to finish third in the racing event topped by Canada (6:44.224) followed by Korea (6:44.446)…..

Fighting out of Federal Way, Washington, Celski, who boasts of three stars and a sun (resembling the Philippine flag) nearly captured his second medal last time when he reached the semifinal of the 1,000m event, but was disqualified when he accidentally bumped off a Canadian rival in the final lap.

The 5-foot-8 Celski, a self-confessed Manny Pacquiao fan said he’s proud to have a Filipino blood in him, saying: “I hope the Filipino community knows that I’m also carrying them in the Winter stage.”

>>>READ COMPLETE ARTICLE>>>

2010 Olympics Short Track Men 1500m Final

http://www.bonttv.com/video/505/2010-Olympics-Short-Track-Men-1500m-Final

Philippine born dance pair represented Germany

Philippine born Christina Beier and brother William completed their free dance with a score of 72.91 placing them in 18th. They are four-time German national champions. Results here.

About Christina and William

Christina and William Beier are brother and sister. Their mother is from the Philippines, their father is German. They moved to Germany when they were 6 and 7 years old respectively. They had relatives who worked at the ice rink in Chemnitz and started to skate just for fun. When they were 12 and 13 years old, they left their family in Chemnitz and moved to Dortmund as they had much better practice conditions for ice dancing there. Beier/Beier switched coaches and moved to Oberstdorf in January 2004. They missed the whole season 2006/2007 as Christina was suffering from an inflammation in her foot.

LINKS: Wikipedia Biography

JR’s Tattoo creates a buzz around the world

VIDEO: NBC Olympics WEBSITE: Official FACEBOOK: Unofficial Fan Page

After learning his disqualification during a tough semifinal race, JR Celski, unintentionally removed his shirt in front of tv camera exposing his giant tattoo seen by millions worldwide.

J.R. Celski’s tattoo is a “three stars and a sun” Philippine flag and “a coat of arm of Poland”  as shown on TV when the athlete removed his t-shirt. This is symbolic of his Filipino-Polish ancestry and created quite a buzz across the globe.

Related Articles: UK Todays News, Breaking Global News, Gather Sports, Buzzy Bloggers, Tech Banyan,

Celski bumped caused him disqualification

by Marv Duron, International Sports Examiner

…In the final lap, Celski was just about tied for second place and poised to reach the medal event finals for the Men’s 1500m in short track speed skating.

Francois Hamelin of Canada, bumped Celski from behind which caused a split-second reaction from the Filipino American and Federal Way, Washington native.

Television replays also appeared to show that the Canadian briefly held Celski which caused him to lose his position in the race.

After the steep turn, Celski fell out of position and the rest of the speed skaters advanced to the medal event finale.  It was the final lap and simply too late to catch up.

Judges ruled that Celski knocked the Canadian Hamelin to the ground, which earned the former a disqualification.  Additionally, it was ruled that Celski was not in qualifying position when the bump took place, albeit he was milli-seconds away from such a qualifying position (second place).

JR Celski advances to 1000 qf, Team finals

J.R. Celski advanced to the quarterfinals in the men’s 1,000-meter short-track speedskating event, which will be held on Saturday. Celski was second in his heat with a 1:25.113. Si-Bak Sung of Aouth Korea posted the fastest time in qualifying with an Olympic record 1:24.245.

The men’s team of Celski, Jayner, Ohno and Simon Cho advanced to the finals in the 5,000-meter relay, which will be held Feb. 26.

JR Celski proud to be Pinoy

by Francis Santiago, Manila Bulletin

John Robert Celski, the Filipino-American speed skater who won a bronze medal in the Vancouver Winter Olympics last Sunday, is a die-hard Manny Pacquiao fan.

So like Pacquiao in boxing, Celski also dreams of lording his sport someday.

“I idolize Manny Pacquiao, and look up to him very much. I try to take the attitude he brings to the ring, onto the ice,” Celski, 19, said in an e-mail interview. “He (Pacquiao) is very humble and always smiling and proud of what he represents. This is what I try to do as well.”

Celski, youngest of three sons of a full-blooded Filipina who hails from Isabela, finished third in the 1,500-meter short-track speed skating event despite being a first-timer in the Games.

Although he’s officially carrying the US flag, Celski believes he’s also representing the Philippines, a tropical country with no snow, in the quadrennial event.

“I hope that the Filipino community knows that I am very proud to represent them on the winter stage this year, and the years to come,” said Celski, who is based in Federal Way, Washington.

>>>READ COMPLETE ARTICLE>>>

Related Article: Inspirational Olympian,

Figure Skating: Evora excels in Vancouver

Photo by Getty Images

Amanda Evora, a Filipino-American woman, together with partner Mark Ladwig, competed in the figure skating pairs competition in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

They didn’t win a medal but came up with personal bests in their first ever Olympic Games.

The 25-year-old Filipina who trains in Florida and Ladwig posted a personal best score during the competition.

Their score of 114.06 points, based on difficulty of elements and grades of execution, was their best of the season by more than 15 points. Combined with their personal best in the short program Sunday, their total score of 171.92 points put them in 10th place.

The gold medal went to Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China, who ended a string of dominance by Soviet and Russian skaters dating back to the 1960s. Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China won the silver and Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany the bronze.

>>>READ FULL ARTICLE>>>

Fil-Am skater bags bronze in Vancouver

by Francis Santiago, Manila Bulletin

John Robert Celski gave the Philippines another reason to cheer about when he won the bronze medal in the 1,500-meter short-track speed skating event of the Vancouver Winter Olympics last Sunday.

While he’s representing the United States in the event, Celski would like to spread the word that he’s proud to have a Filipino blood.

“I would love for people to know that I am Filipino. I am very proud to be Filipino. My mother is full blooded Filipino which makes me half,” Celski said in an e-mail interview last month. “Ever since I was a little kid I have been around the Filipino culture as most of my friends are Filipinos.”

The gutsy skater from Federal Way, Washington is the youngest of the three sons of a full-blooded Filipina who hails from Isabela.

Celski, who boasts of a Philippine flag tattoo on his chest, said he’s great fan of Pinoy dishes like sinigang, lechon, and Longganisa, and of course, pancit, lumpia, and adobo.

>>>COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE>>>

Related Articles: Good News Pilipinas, Team Filipinas, Bakit Why

Evora and Ladwig set personal best

Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig scored 57.86 points, easily surpassing their personal best 51.48 from 2008 Cup of China, to place 10th, the highest among American pairs. “All week, I’ve really felt like Mark and I really deserve to be here,” Evora said after the performance.

The judges felt the same way. All eight required elements in their performance to the “Portuguese Love Theme” received a positive grade of execution, helping them to an element score of 33.10 and program components mark of 24.76.

Evora and Ladwig started their program with a triple twist then landed side-by-side triple toes and the throw triple loop, the highest scoring element of their performance. They were nearly flawless in their Level 3 change foot combination spin, their Level 2 circular step sequence and their group 4 lift, which also rated Level 4. Their program concluded with a death spiral and a combination spin.

Links: Official Website,

Meet J.R. Celski: A Filipino-American with the Heart of a Lion

by Jo-Ryan Salazar, Bleacher Report

One of the highlights for the USA wasn’t just Apolo Anton Ohno making history with his silver in the 1,500 meters in short track or the combo of Hannah Kearney putting an America sandwich on Canada’s Jennifer Heil in the women’s moguls.

For me, the biggest highlight of Day 2 was the heroics of J.R. Celski, a young Filipino-American. Now the reason why he get a fist pump to the sky from me is not because he shares similar initials (woot woot), but the fact that he not only won a bronze medal, but he literally went through the dark valley to earn his medal.

See, what people must realize about the best Olympians is that they need not win gold to be the best. They have to have the heart of a lion. J.R. Celski has the heart of a lion on his way to earning a bronze in Vancouver.

>>>COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE>>>

Bronze for JR Celski

In his first competition after a career treatening injury which required 60 stitches, 19 year old RJ Celski earned a bronze medal in the 1500 meter men’s short track speed skating. Few months before the the Olympic, JR took a hard fall and slid into the padding lodging skate blade to his left thigh.

Last night was the first competition for Celski since the gruesome injury, which required 60 sutures for surgeons to stitch his quad muscle back together. That he not only competed but won a bronze medal just five months later speaks to the incredible work he’s put in over that time.

More on JR Celski: CNN, OC Register, NY Times, Examiner.com

Official Website

Fil-Am Athletes Olympic Schedule

JR CELSKI

Event: Short Track

Saturday, Feb 13   NBC

17:00   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1500 m Heats

18:24   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1500 m Semifinals*

19:18    Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1500 m Finals* (MEDAL EVENT)

Wednesday, Feb 17

17:27   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1000 m Heats

18:35   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 5000 m Relay Semifinals**

Saturday, Feb 20

18:29   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1000 m Quarterfinals

19:28   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1000 m Semifinals

20:15   Short Track Speedskating – Men’s 1000 m Finals (MEDAL EVENT)

Friday, Feb 26

19:52   Shirt Track Speedskating – Men’s 5000 m Relay Finals (MEDAL EVENT)

*have to qualify to advance

AMANDA EVORA & MARK LADWIG

Event: Figure Skating Pairs

16:30   Figure Skating Pairs – Short Program

Danger an inescapable part of the Winter Games

Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili killed during practice run

…Bob Celski was one of the first to jump out of the stands, and his wife, Sue, wasn’t far behind.

Blood was on the ice just a few feet in front of them, so they knew it was bad.

Their son, 19-year-old short-track speedskater J.R. Celski, was sitting and clutching his left leg after falling and slicing his thigh to the bone with his right skate.

Bob pulled off his shirt so his son could wrap it around his leg.

It was the Sept. 12 Olympic trials in Michigan. Celski’s dream of qualifying for the Vancouver Games was the last thing on his parents’ minds.

“He was one inch away from his femoral artery,” Sue said. “Another inch and he probably would have bled to death on the ice.”

Read more:>>> Danger an inescapable part of the Winter Games – KansasCity.com>>>

Ohno will face challenge from fellow American Celski

Washington Post

Apolo Anton Ohno will be looking for gold in an event that has brought him a mix of success, controversy, stumbles and, perhaps, gray hair, at the Olympic Games….

This year he could face a different challenge: a young American rival.

At last year’s world championships in Vienna, a pair of South Koreans took gold and silver in the 1,500 meters, and up-and-coming U.S. star J.R. Celski, 19, claimed bronze — one of four individual medals he won at the championships. Ohno finished fourth.

Celski also topped Ohno in the first of two 1,500 races at the Olympic trials in September. But Celski will be coming back from surgery after a skate blade sliced his thigh at the end of the trials.

–

Official website; follow JR on twitter.

Speedskating: The next “Ohno” is a FilAm?

From Deseret News (UT)

J.R. Celski is being referred to as the “next Ohno”, a comparison he solidified with five medals at the 2009 World Championships. He was at the top of his game and on the verge of realizing his dreams when he was involved in a horrible accident.

Short track speedskating can be vicious, as athletes jockey for position, and Celski suffered a 6-inch cut, all the way to the bone, that looked as bad as it felt. Read Full Article>>>.

Winter Olympics: Snowboarder has Vancouver hopes

from KCRA 3 Sacramento

Kenneth Carson who from Elk Grove in Sacramento Valley  hopes to qualify for the2010 Olympic Winter Games on representing the Philippines.  Read Full Article>>>

Photo from KCRA

Winter Olympics: Speedskater Celski is ahead of schedule on comeback

From Seattle Times

J.R. Celski made remarkable progress from a horrifying short-track speedskating accident where his own skate blade severed his left quadriceps muscle to the bone during the Olympic trials on Sept. 12 Read Full Article>>>.

Photo by Getty Images.

Snowboard: Slopes Bring Satisfaction

by A. Hazard, The State Hornet (Sacramento, California).

With 86 days until the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Kenneth Carson is looking to earn Olympic gold as a part of the Republic of the Philippines’ snowboard cross team Read Full Article>>>.