There was one revealing moment by Ohno near the end of the news conference. As he walked offstage, he slowed as he passed behind Baver, who was still answering questions, and touched her gently on the head.

Baver, 25, will compete in the 500, the 1,500 and the 3,000 relay. Ohno, 23, will compete in the 500, the 1,000, the 1,500 and the 5,000 relay.

Ohno, who was wearing a trademark blue bandanna, even said he was “not sure” if he would march with the U.S. team at the opening ceremony on Friday, two days before the 1,500 final. That would certainly be a huge disappointment to fans of the skater who has almost rock star status.

“The whole opening ceremonies process for athletes is very long. It’s like eight hours long — a lot of standing a lot of walking, a lot of waiting,” he said.

“If I feel like I may get sick or I may get too tired, then I’ll probably sit back,” he said. “I would love to participate, for sure.”

Ohno said he intensified his training because some athletes see their results “go downhill” after winning a medal.

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“It’s hard to change with a sport that’s always getting faster, people getting stronger, new guys are coming up, especially in my sport,” Ohno added. “I felt like I needed something to help me to be able to compete at the top level.”

He said he changed everything — “from nutrition to weight training, the way I train on the ice, the way I train off the ice.”

Not that he hasn’t enjoyed being in Turin. Walking around the Olympic Village, he noticed the “energy” of the fellow athletes, as well as the official slogan of the Turin Games.

“I know that there’s a lot of banners that say 'Passion Lives Here,' and it really does.”

Just not on Valentine’s Day.

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