two speed skaters, both back on the ice

Two stories, each on the different side of an Olympic controversy, nearly seven years later... Here's an interesting article on former South Korean speed skating star Kim Dong-Sung, whose bid for gold ended with disqualification in a controversial race at the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City: Speedskater Finds Career Where He Least Expected.

Kim was in the middle of a celebrating what he assumed was a his gold medal vistory in the 1,500 meters when he learned he had been disqualified for interfering with U.S. star Apolo Anton Ohno, who ended up receiving the first-place. It was a massive upset, with an entire country up in arms over the controversy. Some 16,000 angry email from South Korea apparently crashed the U.S. Olympic Committee's computer system.

At the time Kim vowed never to return to the United States. Today, he's had a change of heart, coaching young Olympic hopeful speed skaters in the Washington suburbs. He started coaching about two years ago, and hopes one day to create a U.S. Olympic champion. The guy has definitely had a change of heart since 2002.

On the other hand, Apolo Anton Ohno has won multiple medals, appeared on a Wheaties, signed with a Hollywood talent agency and competed on Dancing With the Stars It seemed like he was poised to transition out of skaing. But now, he's jumped back onto the ice, and plans to compete -- and win -- at the Vancouver Olympics in 11 months: Picking Up a Career in Perfect Stride.