(NEXSTAR) - The evolution of short track speed skating has led to deeper fields of contenders where any country can potentially win a race. Improvements in technology have resulted in faster lap times and a landscape where every nation features a star player. Apolo Ohno, the most decorated US skater, noted that the difference between a gold medal and missing the podium often comes down to one-hundredth of a second. "Short track speed skating is a chaotic, wild, explosive sport. It's grown, technologies improved in the sport. The speed and lap times are incredible. Every country has a star player now," Ohno said. Beyond the competition, athletes experience a significant emotional shift as they approach the end of their careers. Ohno described the experience of a final Olympic appearance as a "bittersweet" transition that requires being present in the moment regardless of the outcome. "I think there's just this, it slows time down when they're here and I can imagine, at least for me, when you do walk away, when it gets closer to the closing ceremonies, there is this feeling of, 'okay, that was a chapter in my life, now I turn the page over and the page is blank' and you have the pen and pad and you're thinking about, 'okay, now I need to start writing what the next phase of my life is,'" he said during an interview during the games' opening weekend. The atmosphere in Milan includes social gatherings at the Winter House, where legendary figure skater Brian Boitano has named drinks after skating icons like Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair. These events serve as a hub for speed skating, hockey and figure skating families to gather. Ohno noted that while the setting is celebratory, the focus remains on the "electricity" surrounding the athletes and their teams. "The good, bad, the ugly, regardless of outcome, surrendering to that moment would allow me to fully, I think, just envelope myself in this electricity that exists around the games, because it is so special," Speaker one said. Since retiring from competition, Ohno has spent 16 years working in venture capital, entrepreneurship and business. This current phase of life is focused on the intersection of high-performance business and wellness. Speaker one stated that his purpose today is to help others, whether they are athletes or professionals, find the strength to pivot into new career challenges. Looking ahead, there is interest in bringing the atmosphere of the Milan games to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. Speaker one will continue focusing on partnership activations and donor-related activities to support Team USA athletes. These efforts include ongoing work with partners like Yahoo Sports to ensure athletes have the resources needed to compete. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published.