J.R. Celski is a three-time Olympian and three-time medalist in the Winter Olympics. Throughout his career in short track speed skating, he has held five Short Track World and Junior World Records, including World Records in the 500m and 5000m relay and Junior World Records in the 500m, 1000m and 3000m relay.Celski’s breakthrough performance was at the 2009 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships where he won five medals (two Gold, one Silver, two Bronze). Overall, Celski has won three gold medals, four silver medals and four bronze medals at the World Championships.
Just five months before the 2010 Winter Olympics at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Celski suffered a gruesome injury when he fell during a race, and his right skate blade gashed his left thigh all the way to his femur bone. His injury required emergency surgery, 60 stitches, and five months of rehabilitation and he was uncertain if he would ever be able to skate again. Celski went to the Games anyway, and won his first two Olympic medals, Bronze in the 1500m and the 5000m relay.
On October 21, 2012, in Calgary, Canada, Celski became the first person to skate under the 40 second barrier in the 500m event with a time of 39.937 seconds. He held the World Record for this distance for over 5 years, from October 2012 to February 2018.
Then at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Celski placed 4th in the Men’s 1500m, and won Silver in the 5000m relay. He also competed at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games before retiring from speed skating.