From Deseret News archives:
Speedskater moving to Utah
No, Huntsman won't be doing the cha cha cha on the popular television series that airs on the ABC network. But he will appear in a segment profiling one of the dancing couples, Olympic speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough , a professional performer from Sandy.
The contestants visited the governor's office Thursday to tape a portion of the segment that included a press conference called to announce that Ohno is relocating to Utah with the rest of the Olympic speedskating team.
"I want everybody to meet our newest Utahn," a smiling Huntsman said, even though the soul-patch wearing, gold-medal winning star of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City won't actually call the state home until sometime later this year.
"I'm excited to move. It's a bit of a change for me, but it'll be a good change," Ohno said to a group of local reporters and a crew from the Los Angeles-based live reality TV series that lets viewers as well as a panel of judges vote for their favorites.
Although Ohno said home now is Colorado Springs with the rest of the team, he's been in Los Angeles for some time preparing for the show that began airing on March 19 and will continue until all but one pair of dancers have been eliminated from the competition.
Ohno said he hasn't decided yet where he wants to live in Utah but is looking at a number of places, including Park City. He'll train for the 2010 U.S. short-track speedskating team at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, probably starting in June.
While he's collected plenty of awards skating, Ohno didn't get the best reviews from his 18-year-old dance partner. "He's an athlete so he's quick on his feet," Hough said, quickly agreeing when Ohno said he's really not a dancer.
Laughing, Ohno said there are differences. "With short-track speedskating, I'm hunched over ... relaxed. I don't have any facial expression. I'm in the zone." Earlier Thursday, he gave Hough a chance to try speed-skating at the Kearns oval in front of the series' camera crew.
She said it was hard for her just to stand upright on the skates. "My ankles were going like this," Hough said, bending her hands outward. Ohno offered that "she did pretty well, considering. She doesn't have to compete in four days."
The segment on Ohno and Hough is scheduled to air as part of Monday's "Dancing With the Stars," which is broadcast locally on KTVX Channel 4, and also features such celebrities as country musician Billy Ray Cyrus.
E-mail: lisa@desnews.com
