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John Celski

United States

SportShort Track
FederationIDSTUSA11707199001
NOCUnited States
Born17 Jul 1990 in Monterey, CA 
GenderMen
LanguagesEnglish
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 39.937 21 Oct 2012 Calgary  
    1000m 1:23.087 22 Aug 2013 Salt Lake City, UT  
    1500m 2:10.937 07 Oct 2017 Dordrecht  
    3000m 4:41.948 14 Mar 2009 Heerenveen  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
Olympic Games
Event  
Olympic Games
    1500m     1  
    5000m Relay   1 1  
World Championships
Event  
World Championships
    500m   1    
    1000m     2  
    1500m     1  
    5000m Relay 1 1    
    Overall   2    
World Junior Championships
Event  
World Junior Championships
    3000m Relay 1      
    Overall     1  
World Team Championships
Event  
World Team Championships
    Team     1  
General Interest
General Interest
Hero / IdolPhilippine boxer Manny Pacquiao. (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)  
Most influential person in careerHis parents. (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.jrcelski.com/  
www.facebook.com/JRC3lski/  
twitter.com/jrcelski  
General Interest
General Interest
Superstitions / Rituals / BeliefsHe gets a haircut before he travels somewhere, he always brings the same food and supplements he eats at home, and he always puts his left skate on first. (wavy.com, 05 Oct 2017)  
HobbiesCycling, golf, supporting American football team Seattle Seahawks, juggling, playing the guitar, collecting beer bottle caps, bouldering, backpacking, cinematography. (wavy.com, 05 Oct 2017)  
InjuriesHe hurt his knee at the 2016 US Championships. In February that year it was announced he would not be part of the national team at the remaining World Cup events during the 2015/16 season as a result of the injury. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 09 Feb 2016)

In November 2014 he underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. He originally sustained the injury in 2013 but delayed surgery in order to focus on the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. He returned to training in August 2015. (nbcsports.com, 13 Aug 2015; jrcelski.com, 03 Apr 2015)

In December 2011 he fractured a bone and tore ligaments in his left ankle. The injury meant he was unable to compete in individual events at the 2012 World Championships in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. (jrcelski.com, 01 Oct 2013)

In September 2009 he suffered a serious leg injury at the 2010 US Olympic team trials in Marquette, Michigan. Competing in the semifinal of the men's 500m, he fell while rounding a corner. His right skate cut his left leg, missing his femoral artery by an inch. He was treated by paramedics on the ice and transported by ambulance to Marquette General Hospital for surgery. The cut just above his knee was about six inches long and two inches deep. (NBC, 21 Jan 2010; usatoday.com, 16 Sep 2009)
 
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportHe wanted to compete at the Olympic Winter Games.  
When and where did you begin this sport?He began inline skating at age three, and took up short track in 2002 in Federal Way, WA, United States of America.  
General Interest
General Interest
Other informationRETIREMENT
In November 2018 he confirmed he had retired from competitive short track. (isu.org, 09 Nov 2018)

HERITAGE
His father has Polish heritage and his mother has Philippine heritage. On his chest he has a tattoo of the sun and stars from the Philippine flag surrounding the eagle from the Polish coat of arms. (wavy.com, 05 Oct 2017)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has been a co-producer of MAD [Music, Art and Dance] Northwest Film Productions. His main project was a documentary about the hip hop scene in Seattle, WA, United States of America. He took a year off after the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver to film it, and worked with artists such as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. "Everybody thinks Seattle is just about coffee, rain and bad sports teams. We want to let people know there's more." (Twitter profile, 21 Apr 2016; nbcsports.com, 16 Jan 2014; jrcelski.com, 01 Oct 2013; king5.com, 15 Oct 2010)
 
Other sportsHe competed in inline skating at national level in United States of America before switching to short track in 2002. (jrcelski.com, 2011)  
Famous relativesHis father Robert John Celski won national inline skating titles in the United States of America. (teamusa.org, 2011)  
NicknamesJR, Celskeet [his computer gaming tag during high school], Nasty [given to him by friends in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America], Mowgli [given to him by coach Wilma Boomstra because she thinks he looks and acts like the fictional character of the same name]. (wavy.com, 05 Oct 2017; Athlete, 10 Feb 2013)  
Sporting philosophy / motto"Everybody is going to overcome challenges. What defines you is how you overcome them." (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)  
Memorable sporting achievementBreaking the 500m world record. (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2008/2009 World Junior Championships 3000m Relay1  
    2008/2009 World Championships 5000m Relay1  
    2008/2009 World Championships Overall2  
    2013/2014 World Championships Overall2  
    2013/2014 World Championships 500m2  
    2014 Olympic Games 5000m Relay2  
    2009/2010 World Championships 5000m Relay2  
    2009/2010 World Championships 1000m3  
    2008/2009 World Championships 1500m3  
    2008/2009 World Junior Championships Overall3  
    2008/2009 World Championships 1000m3  
    2010 Olympic Games 1500m3  
    2008/2009 World Team Championships Team3  
    2010 Olympic Games 5000m Relay3  
    2009/2010 World Championships 1500m4  
    2009/2010 World Championships Overall4  
    2014 Olympic Games 1500m4  
    2007/2008 World Junior Championships Overall5  
    2018 Olympic Games 5000m Relay5  
    2012/2013 World Championships 500m5  
    2007/2008 World Junior Championships 2000m Relay5  
    2014 Olympic Games 500m6  
    2013/2014 World Championships 5000m Relay6  
    2013/2014 World Championships 1000m6  
    2017/2018 World Championships 5000m Relay6  
    2016/2017 World Championships 1000m7  
    2016/2017 World Championships 5000m Relay7  
    2012/2013 World Championships 5000m Relay7  
    2005/2006 World Junior Championships Overall8  
    2010 Olympic Games 1000m8  
    2016/2017 World Championships 1500m8  
    2009/2010 World Championships 500m9  
    2013/2014 World Championships 1500m12  
    2014 Olympic Games 1000m13  
    2016/2017 World Championships Overall13  
    2008/2009 World Championships 500m16  
    2018 Olympic Games 1500m22  
    2012/2013 World Championships 1500m23  
    2012/2013 World Championships Overall23  
    2018 Olympic Games 1000m24  
    2017/2018 World Championships 1000m47  
    2017/2018 World Championships Overall53  
    2016/2017 World Championships 500m57  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2008/2009 Dresden 1500m1  
    2012/2013 Calgary, AB 500m1  
    2013/2014 Kolomna 1500m1  
    2013/2014 Kolomna 5000m Relay1  
    2017/2018 Shanghai 5000m Relay1  
    2008/2009 Vancouver 5000m Relay1  
    2008/2009 Beijing 5000m Relay1  
    2013/2014 Shanghai 5000m Relay1  
    2008/2009 Dresden 1000m2  
    2011/2012 Nagoya 1000m2  
    2012/2013 Nagoya 1000m2  
    2008/2009 Salt Lake City, UT 5000m Relay2  
    2012/2013 Montreal, QC 1500m2  
    2012/2013 Dresden 1500m2  
    2013/2014 Seoul 5000m Relay2  
    2011/2012 Moscow 1500m3  
    2011/2012 Dordrecht 1000m3  
    2011/2012 Salt Lake City, UT 1500m3  
    2016/2017 Dresden 1000m3  
    2017/2018 Seoul 1500m3  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 5000m Relay3  
    2013/2014 Kolomna 1000m3  
    2017/2018 Seoul 5000m Relay3  
    2012/2013 Calgary, AB 1000m3  
    2012/2013 Sochi 1000m3  
    2012/2013 Montreal, QC 5000m Relay3  
    2012/2013 World Cup Classification 1000m4  
    2011/2012 World Cup Classification 1000m5  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 1000m5  
    2008/2009 Dresden 5000m Relay5  
    2008/2009 World Cup Classification 1500m6  
    2012/2013 Dresden 5000m Relay6  
    2013/2014 World Cup Classification 1000m7  
    2012/2013 World Cup Classification 1500m7  
    2013/2014 World Cup Classification 1500m7  
    2008/2009 World Cup Classification 1000m7  
    2012/2013 Dresden 500m7  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1000m8  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1500m9  
    2016/2017 Minsk 5000m Relay10  
    2016/2017 Minsk 1000m10  
    2016/2017 Minsk 1000m10  
    2012/2013 World Cup Classification 500m11  
    2011/2012 World Cup Classification 1500m11  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 5000m Relay12  
    2017/2018 Shanghai 1000m12  
    2013/2014 World Cup Classification 500m13  
    2016/2017 Dresden 1500m13  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 500m16  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 1500m16  
    2016/2017 Dresden 5000m Relay17  
    2017/2018 Shanghai 500m18  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1000m19  
    2017/2018 Shanghai 1500m39  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1500m40  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1000m47  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 500m48  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 1500m48  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1500m66