I was going to after-Oscar parties. I was mingling with the Hollywood crowd. It's really easy to become distracted when you have opportunities to do that kind of stuff. There's no way I would ever turn that stuff down, but it's important for me to realize why I'm here, what I'm trying to do and the goals I'm trying to accomplish.

My life has always been compartmentalized into different aspects. I have my speed skating Olympic pursuits, I have my personal life and have my business life and have my entertainment - TV - Hollywood - whatever have you - always compartmentalizing every aspect of my life.

I was really bothered by it. I grew up around many Asian cultures, Korean one of them. A lot of my best friends were Korean growing up. I just didn't understand. Later on I realized that was built up by certain people and that was directed at me, negative energy from other things, not even resulting around the sport, but around politics, using me to stand on the pedestal as the anti-American sentiment.

I got too far forward with my skates. I lost a lot of speed and almost went down.

It might have been his hip and my shoulder, but I don't know. I've got to go back and look.

I think I'm better all around as a skater. Physically, I think I'm definitely stronger. I'm lighter, I'm leaner, I know a lot more about my body.