. She was 16 years old when she began Olympic-style racing, which pits only two racers against each other in a competition based on time. "Blair, Bonnie [26] Blair again won gold in the 500 meters, becoming the first woman to win the event in back to back Olympics, with a time of 40.33 seconds. In 1985, Blair won the North American indoor speed skating championship, and in 1986, she again won the U.S. indoor title. Sports Illustrated (January 27, 1988): 236. Discover Bonnie Blair's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. bonnie blair siblingsmeadowglen lane apartments. Speed skating. Despite unfavorable weather conditions at the outdoor rink, Blair won the 500-meter race. Sports Illustrated (December 6, 1987): section 2, p. 10. Sports Illustrated (February 27, 1995): 52. [5] She attended Jefferson Middle School and later Centennial High School in Champaign[6] In addition to skating, Blair was also a cheer leader and a member of the student council. [40][41] Blair became involved with Right to Play, When the Winter Olympics returned to the United States in 2002, Blair was one of the final torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah. Notable Sports Figures. ", Blair competed as a speed skater one more season following her last Olympic win. 5 What actress portrayed. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures, Skoblikova, Lydia [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. The year following her return from Europe, she won the 1983 U.S. indoor speed skating championship, a title she won again in 1984. "A Bonnie blare." How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? [23] U.S. speed skating failure to win a single medal at the 1984 Olympics added to the pressure and attention focused on Blair leading up to the 1988 games. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." When the gun goes off, I don't worry about the person next to me. Petruso, A. She won the 1989 World Championship, setting a new world record in the overall event; finished second in 1990; and placed fifth in 1991, her worst finish in six years. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is our local Olympic superstar: five time gold medalist, six medals overall. She entered her first competition at age four and won her first race at age seven. It's fun to set goals, reach goals, reset goals. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, Petruso, A. Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. [11] Blair had not been not considered a front-runner and later recalled she was happy just to be at the games and see her family in the stands. "That's not to say I didn't have other great memories," she told Paula Parrish in the Rocky Mountain News, "but I think that had the biggest impact." "History (Never) Lessens: Bonnie Blair was textbook good, and her legacy still is quoted chapter and verse." She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. 12. [36], The 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, were another success for Blair: She again won gold in the 500 meters (39.25) and 1,000 meters (1:18.74)[35] races. places to practice were in Europe. For the American actress Bonnie Blair Brown, see, Early career and first Olympics (19841986), Rise and becoming an Olympic medalist (19871989), List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event, "ESPN Classic - Blair is special but she doesn't know it", "Champaign's Bonnie Blair is, Quite Simply, Just a Good Skate", "Retiring at Top Speed; With Blair, Winning Comes First, Then the Party", "Parkland College Alumni Association - Notable Alumni Stories", "Coach Gets U.s. Speedskating Team Off Thin Ice", "Washingtonpost.com: Blair Wins 1,000, Sets Gold Record for U.S. Women", "Bonnie Blair shares the experience of her first Olympic Games, the ones in Sarajevo - Sarajevo Times", "World Cup Speed Skating: Bonnie Blair Derails East German Sweep", "Short-track Speedskating Long On Thrills", "Biographies & Statistics: 500m Ladies World Record Progression", "Blair, Jansen Top Speed Skaters in 500 for Second Night in Row", "Olympic Speed Skating Trials: Mary Docter Earns Spot on U.S. "I'm like, 'She's my mom.' It's never really a thought, and I guess I won't ever really . Bonnie Blair Dream, Distance, Accomplishment 11 Copy quote I never could have achieved the success that I have without setting physical activity and health goals. She also represented Canada in speed skating in the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan. [44], In 1992, Blair became the third winter athlete to win the Sullivan Award. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. [1] Her godmother is Canadian speed skater Cathy Priestner. Search instead in Creative? Denver Rocky Mountain News (February 15, 2002): 23S. "Bonnie Blue (now Bonnie Vaughn) lived across the street . Bonnie Blair Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Bonnie E. (Hankins) Blair. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair. At fifteen, Blair was named to the U.S. speed skating team. 1. (People jokingly said her job title was "Girl Friday," which is a reference to a character from Daniel Defoe's 18th century book Robinson Crusoe , because . This is an individual sport.". Genealogy profile for Bonnie Elaine BlaIr Bonnie Elaine BlaIr (1925 - 2016) - Genealogy Genealogy for Bonnie Elaine BlaIr (1925 - 2016) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Winning doesn't always mean being first. [43] As of 2018, Blair serves on the board of the Pettit National Ice Center. Blair continued to have success on the international level, though she also challenged herself to find ways to win. "Bonnie Blair," HickokSports.com, http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/blairbon.shtml (March 10, 2003). Janofsky, Michael. "He's the hardest worker on the team," Blair later told Angus Phillips in the Washington Post, "and he got me into that, too. She won the 500 meters with a time of 39.1 seconds and the 1000 meters with a time of 1:18.74. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Time (February 24, 1992): 54. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. She made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. Parker, Bonnie (1910-1934). Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. She was the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history when she retired in 1995. Her hard work paid off when in 1985, she won the U.S. sprint championship. Four days later, she took the gold in the 1,000-meter race, winning by just two one-hundredths of a second. [33] The attempt to compete at her fourth Olympics was not without its challenges; the 1993 season was lackluster for Blair. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. "Blair has not Slowed Down: Family is her Life, Not Speed skating." As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. Thus, the next Winter Games would be held in February 1994. Omissions? In winning the 1,000-meter event, Blair again beat Ye, this time by a mere two hundredths of a second. . Sports Illustrated (March 6, 1989): 32. Imperial Oil Web Site. Rushin, Steve. [4] At age 15, Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt. When Bonnie was still an infant, Charlie, who called the new baby "missy" because the pregnancy was a mistake, took a new job and moved the family to Champaign, Illinois, then considered a mecca for speedskating. During the Olympics, Blair was given the nickname "Bonnie the Blur." Updates? "Glory and gloom." Bonnie Blair Olympic Legend - Part 9 - Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Film | Olympic History 22,552 views Jan 7, 2015 99 Dislike Save Olympics 9.04M subscribers Subscribe to @olympics:. Her unprecedented Olympic success began at the 1988 Calgary Games. Janofsky, Michael. She won a number of races as a child, including the Illinois state championship when she was seven. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. Cazeneuve, Brian. During this last season, she shattered her world record time for the 500-meter sprint twice. Nobody makes you do it. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. The Olympic style favored Blair's small stature and emphasis on technique. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 6, 2002; February 18, 2002. To celebrate, she climbed into the stands, still wearing her skates, to hug her family and friends. [32], Her success in the 1992 Olympics led to more attention for Blair. Sports Illustrated (March 7, 1994): 42. She has been married to Dave Cruikshank since June 23, 1996. Blair would also hold a number of world's and American records over the course of her speed skating career. and its Licensors American speed skater Bonnie Blair won six medals competing in three Winter Olympics Games, the second most medals won by a woman in the Winter Olympic Games (the first was Lydia Skoblikova ). Bonnie Blair. [14] After the 1984 Olympics, Blair worked closely with coach Mike Crowe to improve her skating skills to compete with the powerful East German skaters. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before. Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1996. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. [31] Although she had won gold at the prior Olympics, Blair felt that her small stature made her an underdog against much larger East German competitors. During her gold medal-winning race, she also set a world's record with a time of 39.1 seconds. The experience strengthened her determination to become an Olympian. She won gold at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. She also won two gold medals at the '92 . New York Times (February 11, 1992): B11. The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. Bonnie Blair C Retweeted. [50] Blair and Cruikshank have two children: a son, Grant, and daughter, Blair. "Repeat for Blair." Encyclopedia.com. [24] Blair responded to the challenge with her best start ever in the 500 meters, winning the gold medal in world record time of 39.10 seconds. [15] In May 1985, at a time when U.S. speed skating lacked unity, U.S. International Speedskating Association replaced national team coach Dianne Holum with Mike Crowe. She won the 1986 short-track world championship. Matson, Barbara. She is one of the top skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair's success came despite the fact that she was smaller and lighter than an average female speed skater. In 1989, she won the World Sprint Championships, though she did not train as hard as she had for the Olympics. She had an older brother, Hubert (Buster), and a younger sister, Billie. Since her retirement from competition in 1995 at the age of 31, she has turned her stellar Olympic performances into a successful career as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. In 1987, she won the World Cup in both the 500 and 1000 meter races. Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank's 21-year old daughter, Blair, has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be able to compete in this week's U.S. long track speedskating Olympic trials at the. Encyclopedia.com. When she was attending Centennial High School, she competed in track and field events, including 100 meter to 800 meter races, long jump, and triple jump. Though Blair trained for the Olympics like they were any other meet, she dominated the trials in the 500, 1000, and 1500 meter races. Bonnie Blair is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Achieving Your Personal Best. Background Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, United States; the youngest of six children. [19] Blair held a world record at 500 meters until December 1987 when Christa Rothenburger beat her time at the World Cup. Priestner profoundly affected Blair's direction as a speed skater. An excellent student, she was allowed to graduate halfway through her senior year to focus on her training. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. All these elder siblings became a canopy of extra moms and dads under which Bonnie grew up. Speed skater who won Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992, and 1994. Ye trained by watching tapes of Blair. Blair also won gold in the 1000 meter race. [21][22] Blair was considered a stronger competitor in the shorter distances, where she was seen as the United States' best chance at a gold medal in speed skating. "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." Speed skating coach Bob Fenn told Angus Phillips of Washington Post in 1992, "From a technical standpoint, she's the most efficient skater in the whole world. Four of her siblings would hold speedskating titles. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair continued to compete. So, the police department in Champaign stepped in to raise money for her trip, holding a series of raffles and bake sales. She and Apolo Anton Ohno are both world-famous speed skaters. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Blair later credited her husband's continuing involvement in the sport with helping her to make the transition from competition to civilian life. [28] At the event, Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory. . She entered the Winter Games in Albertville, France, as the favorite in both events. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. Then she went out and bettered Rothenburger's time by two hundredths of a second to win her first gold medal. She was raised in Illinois, but she moved to Milwaukee to further her speed-skating career. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. Blair remained a popular figure in Champaign for many years, and was even given the key to the city. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. ." Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. She was only 5'5" and 125-130 lbs.