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'''Simon Cho''' (born October 7, 1991) is an [[United States|American]] [[Short track speed skating|short track speed skater]] who was a member of the [[United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics|US Olympic Team]] for the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]]. |
'''Simon Cho''' (born October 7, 1991) is an [[United States|American]] [[Short track speed skating|short track speed skater]] who was a member of the [[United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics|US Olympic Team]] for the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]]. |
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==Early life== |
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Simon Cho was born in [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]] and immigrated to the United States as an [[Illegal immigration|undocumented immigrant]] with his parents from Canada at the age of four and settled in Chicago.<ref name="baltimore"/> He became an United States citizen at the age of 11.<ref name="NAKASEC"> {{cite news | first = Hemi | last = Kim | title = Simon Says Support Immigration Reform | date = 2010-04-27 | url = http://nakasec.org/blog/1955 | work = [[NAKASEC]] | accessdate = 2010-10-11}}</ref> |
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Growing up, his parents worked long hours at a seafood takeout restaurant in [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland]].<ref name="washington"/> Cho mentions life was financially difficult and as a Korean-American immigrant stating, "My parents left for work before I woke up and came back home after I went to sleep. We had financial difficulties and there were times when we had no water or electricity for a few days because we weren't able to pay the bills. Other daily activities that others take for granted such as having a drivers’ license was difficult for my father".<ref name="NAKASEC"/><ref name="baltimore"/> Due to a display of skill in speed skating, his parents sold their business and spent their savings to move to [[Salt Lake City]] to train Cho for the sport after he graduated from [[junior high school]].<ref name="baltimore"> {{cite news | first = Simon | last = Cho | title = Olympic dreams, immigration hopes | date = 2010-05-12 | url = http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-05-12/news/bs-ed-skater-immigration-20100512_1_olympic-dreams-skating-olympic-short-track-speed | work = [[Baltimore Sun]] | accessdate = 2010-10-11}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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*[[United_States_at_the_2010_Winter_Olympics#Short_track_speed_skating|United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics: Short track speed skating]] |
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==Career== |
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*[[Short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics]] |
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Cho began skating at the age of 3. He trained in Salt Lake City but moved back to [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland]] a year before the U.S. Olympic Trials, initially quit speed skating after failing to qualify for performance grants from the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Speedskating which would have offset the unaffordable costs of $40,000 for training.<ref name="washington"/><ref name="Olympic team">{{Cite news| first=Jim | last=LaJoie | title=Skater Celski injured in crash at short track Olympic trials | date=2009-09-13 | work=USA Today | url =http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-09-12-short-track-speedskating_N.htm | accessdate = 2009-09-14}}</ref> About his chances of making the Olympic team, Cho said, "When I say nobody thought I would make the team, literally nobody thought I would make it...Not even me".<ref name="washington"> {{cite news | first = Amy | last = Shipley | title = Simon Cho's Olympic speedskating opportunity rewards his family's investment | date = 2010-01-13 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011201648.html | work = [[Washington Post]] | accessdate = 2010-10-11}}</ref> However, at the age of 18, Cho qualified for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team. [[Apolo Ohno]] noted that Cho "basically made this team training on his own".<ref name="Olympic team"/> Cho cites Ohno and [[Shani Davis]] as mentors who helped him face challenges as being a [[person of color]] in the sport.<ref name="baltimore"/> |
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⚫ | At the [[Vancouver Olympics]], he competed in the 500 meter and 5000 meter relay events. Cho earned a bronze medal in the relay after skating in the semifinals.<ref name="NBCbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=2481/bio/index.html|title=Simon Cho – Biography|publisher=NBC Universal|accessdate=19 January 2010}}</ref> |
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After the 2010 Winter Games, he spoke with the [[National Korean American Service & Education Consortium]] and met with Senators [[Richard Durbin]] and [[Orrin Hatch]] to discuss the challenges facing immigrants and supports immigration reform in the United States.<ref name="NAKASEC"/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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*{{usoc profile|speedskating|simon-cho|Simon Cho}} |
*{{usoc profile|speedskating|simon-cho|Simon Cho}} |
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*{{Twitter|TheRealSimonCho}} |
*{{Twitter|TheRealSimonCho}} |
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*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011201648.html Simon Cho's Olympic speedskating opportunity rewards his family's investment, Washington Post] |
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*[http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-skater-immigration-20100512,0,635949.story Olympic dreams, immigration hopes, Baltimore Sun] |
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*[http://nakasec.org/blog/1955 US Olympian Simon Cho Cites Own Experience to Call for Immigration Reform, NAKASEC] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cho, Simon}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cho, Simon}} |
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[[Category:Short track speed skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics]] |
[[Category:Short track speed skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics]] |
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[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States]] |
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States]] |
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{{US-skating-bio-stub}} |
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{{speed-skating-bio-stub}} |
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[[de:Simon Cho]] |
[[de:Simon Cho]] |
Revision as of 18:21, 11 October 2010
Personal information | |
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Born | Seoul, South Korea | October 7, 1991
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
Weight | 153 lb (69 kg) |
Sport | |
Country | United States |
Sport | Speed skating |
Club | Potomac Speedskating Club (Arlington County, Virginia) |
Turned pro | 2008 |
Achievements and titles | |
Olympic finals | 1 |
Highest world ranking | 8 (500m) 15 (overall) |
Medal record | ||
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Men's short track speed skating | ||
Representing the United States | ||
Winter Olympics | ||
2010 Vancouver | 5000 m relay | |
World Championships | ||
2010 Sofia | 5000 m relay |
Simon Cho (born October 7, 1991) is an American short track speed skater who was a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Early life
Simon Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to the United States as an undocumented immigrant with his parents from Canada at the age of four and settled in Chicago.[1] He became an United States citizen at the age of 11.[2]
Growing up, his parents worked long hours at a seafood takeout restaurant in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.[3] Cho mentions life was financially difficult and as a Korean-American immigrant stating, "My parents left for work before I woke up and came back home after I went to sleep. We had financial difficulties and there were times when we had no water or electricity for a few days because we weren't able to pay the bills. Other daily activities that others take for granted such as having a drivers’ license was difficult for my father".[2][1] Due to a display of skill in speed skating, his parents sold their business and spent their savings to move to Salt Lake City to train Cho for the sport after he graduated from junior high school.[1]
Career
Cho began skating at the age of 3. He trained in Salt Lake City but moved back to Upper Marlboro, Maryland a year before the U.S. Olympic Trials, initially quit speed skating after failing to qualify for performance grants from the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Speedskating which would have offset the unaffordable costs of $40,000 for training.[3][4] About his chances of making the Olympic team, Cho said, "When I say nobody thought I would make the team, literally nobody thought I would make it...Not even me".[3] However, at the age of 18, Cho qualified for the 2010 U.S. Olympic team. Apolo Ohno noted that Cho "basically made this team training on his own".[4] Cho cites Ohno and Shani Davis as mentors who helped him face challenges as being a person of color in the sport.[1]
At the Vancouver Olympics, he competed in the 500 meter and 5000 meter relay events. Cho earned a bronze medal in the relay after skating in the semifinals.[5]
After the 2010 Winter Games, he spoke with the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium and met with Senators Richard Durbin and Orrin Hatch to discuss the challenges facing immigrants and supports immigration reform in the United States.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Cho, Simon (2010-05-12). "Olympic dreams, immigration hopes". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ a b c Kim, Hemi (2010-04-27). "Simon Says Support Immigration Reform". NAKASEC. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ a b c Shipley, Amy (2010-01-13). "Simon Cho's Olympic speedskating opportunity rewards his family's investment". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ a b LaJoie, Jim (2009-09-13). "Skater Celski injured in crash at short track Olympic trials". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ^ "Simon Cho – Biography". NBC Universal. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
External links
- ISU profile
- Cho/Athletes/speedskating simon-cho at Team USA (archived)
- Simon Cho on Twitter