Short track is one of the few sports I have ever enjoyed watching, so I
was curious to read what Ohno would write about in his books. Interestingly, and perhaps not unexpectedly,
they are not the same, even though the first nineteen years covered the same material.
Thematically, the first book is about how what has always mattered to
Ohno was the journey – the training – the road to – not the goals themselves,
necessarily. The second book is not as
much about the journey but about not having any regrets wherever he ends up.
The first book has more of a staccato writing style – this may be in
part due to having different writing partners of each book. There is a journey-istic sense of “getting to
what’s next.” The reader sees Ohno as
being intelligent but restless and difficult, strong-headed and talented. No matter what Ohno ends up doing, there is a
fight to get there, both inside him and in reality. Ohno credits his single-parent father with
much of his success and shows a ferocity towards those who disagree with him or
try to stop him from moving in the direction he desires.
The second book is more meditative, more gracious, more thankful for
what he has achieved. Although there is
no doubt that Ohno continues to be both strong and strong-willed, there is a
sense of gratitude that is lacking in the first book. Ohno is more encouraging of his readers and
other athletes in the second book, urging all to go forward with “no regrets.”
The history of Ohno’s father leaving Japan with nothing to come to the US
and then raising his only son as a single parent beginning shortly after Ohno’s
birth is an inspiring one. The dedication
that Ohno has to his craft – being the best physically, mentally, and socially,
is also inspiring. Ohno seems to be a fiercely
loyal friend.
The difference between the two books is not only stylistic and thematic
– the histories do not agree in all points.
Two glaring differences are in Ohno’s not getting on the plane to his
first training camp. In the first book,
Ohno says his father instinctively knew he had not gotten on the plane, so he
tracked him down at a friend’s house. In
the second book, Ohno’s father is completely oblivious until the trainer calls
to question why he hasn’t shown up – only then does Ohno’s father set out on a
longer search for his son. Another is
the reaction Ohno had to losing a race in 2002 due to a foul which was not
called. In the first volume, he is angry,
says he was angry, and even calls his opponent names. In the second, though he says he was
disappointed, he says he was never angry with his opponent and did not allow it
to make him have any regrets.
It was interesting to see at the time of Ohno’s confusion about whether
to follow short track seriously, he prays “in Jesus’ Name,” and then, more specifically
state din the second book, he went on to follow Eastern philosophy. Both books would have been buffeted by saying
more about the specific religious instruction he had, what he believes, and why
he has come to adopt the philosophies he has.
Even if the answers are largely that he doesn’t believe “anything,” it
would have been instructive to have that information.
Ohno is the most decorated winter Olympian to date, and it will be
interesting to see if he races in the 2014 Olympics or retires. He is on the cusp age-wise for the sport, but
it seems he has the ability and the mind to continue. Either way, perhaps it will spur a third volume,
which will fill in some of the gaps, if not clear up inconsistencies, in the
first two volumes.
No comments:
Post a Comment