Men
USA
John Celski
USA- Date of birth17 Jul 1990
- Height1730 CM
- ProfessionAthlete
- Home townSalt Lake City
- Place of birthMonterey, CA
- Start skating / He began inline skating at age three, and took up short track in 2002 in Federal Way, WA, United States of America. /
- HobbiesCycling, golf, supporting American football team Seattle Seahawks, juggling, playing the guitar, collecting beer bottle caps, bouldering, backpacking, cinematography. (wavy.com, 05 Oct 2017)
- languagesEnglish
- other nameJR, 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)
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
"Everybody is going to overcome challenges. What defines you is how you overcome them." (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)
Philippine boxer Manny Pacquiao. (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)
His parents. (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)
He 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)
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)
Breaking the 500m world record. (Athlete, 02 Feb 2017)
RETIREMENT
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)
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)
He competed in inline skating at national level in United States of America before switching to short track in 2002. (jrcelski.com, 2011)
He 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)
He wanted to compete at the Olympic Winter Games.