Speed Skater Apolo Anton Ohno Switches Sports For a Day

Apolo Anton Ohno may have the most Olympic medals of any U.S. speed skater – and a pretty good rumba – but the Olympic gold medalist and Dancing With the Stars champion has a long way to go before he can add decathlete to his impressive resume.

Ohno joined fellow Olympic gold medalist  and Glendora decathlete Bryan Clay at Azusa Pacific University Friday as Clay trained for the upcoming Olympic trials.

The pair promoted the Century Council’s Ask, Listen Learn program aimed at educating parents and children about the dangers of underage drinking through interactive games and healthy lifestyle challenges.

According to a 2010 study, 36 percent of adolescents say they have tried alcohol before they reached eighth grade.

The program features world-class athletes such as Ohno, Clay, Gretchen Bleiler, and Dara Torres encouraging children to stay fit and healthy and say no to underage drinking.

“Both Bryan and I share the same values and similar experiences as kids of how sports came into our lives and showed us a better and more positive path,” said Ohno. “This is a perfect opportunity for us to do sports and hopefully get kids excited about making right decisions and incorporating sports and athletics into their lifestyle.”

During the Training Day, Ohno tried his hand at various decathlon events, including the javelin.

“That was my weakest event among my many weak events,” said Ohno. “But I had a blast.”

Clay said he’s eager to switch gears from decathlon training and try out his own pair of speed skates.

“I love sports, I love a challenge, I love testing myself and learning something new and seeing how good of an athlete am I,” said Clay. But the training session on the ice will have to wait until after the Olympics.

“I think he’ll do well,” said Ohno. “He definitely has the legs for it.”