JR Celski and Amanda Evora emerged as trailblazers by being the first athletes of Filipino descent to represent the US in the Winter Olympics.  In the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, JR Celski captured the bronze medal in the 1500-m short track race where speed-skating superstar Apolo Anton Ohno bagged silver while Amanda Evora shone with  partner Mark Ladwig at the figure skating short program event.   

What made the feat of JR (John Robert) Celski more impressive was that he had defied the odds by competing in the Vancouver Winter Olympics after having sustained a serious thigh injury earlier in the year. 

Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig earned their Olympic berth as the National Pairs silver medalists at the 2010 US National Championships in Spokane, Washington.  At one point in the Olympic short program event, the US skating pair were at second place behind the leaders Hongbo Zhao and Xue Shen of China.  However, they eventually landed out of the medal standings behind the Chinese duo who won the gold.

With JR Celski and Amanda Evora (plus Mark Ladwig) making us all proud, getting hot tickets to all sporting events in the Winter Olympics and other venues seems to be a real treat.

(Video from youtube.com; posted by zenitramnoj 05.25.08)