She won the 500 meters with a time of 39.1 seconds and the 1000 meters with a time of 1:18.74. [1][3] Already a hobby for her siblings, Bonnie first tried skating at age two. Realizing the risk involved in cycling, Blair soon gave up the sport and returned her focus to speed skating. [20] Blair continued on to the 1995 World Championships in her adopted home town of Milwaukee. But Blair is going out on top." Four days later, she took the gold in the 1,000-meter race, winning by just two one-hundredths of a second. Sports Illustrated (February 27, 1995): 52. In 1986, Blair set her first world's record in the 500 meters. In 1992, Blair received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Though she did well at the meet, she did not make the team. Blair was the only American to win two medals at these games, and was given the honor of carrying the American flag at the closing ceremonies. Notable Sports Figures. 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:. This allowed Blair to train seriously, including one stint with the U.S. men's speed skating team in Butte, Montana. [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. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Toronto Star, January 11, 1995; March 19, 1995. ", Blair competed as a speed skater one more season following her last Olympic win. When Blair returned to the United States, she increased the intensity of her training, including weight training, running, biking, and rollerblading in addition to skating. After retiring from speed skating, Blair became a motivational speaker. She also represented Canada in speed skating in the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan. Speed skater Bonnie Blair started racing at the age of four and went on to be one of the fastest competitors of her time (via Britannica ). Rushin, Steve. Great Women in Sports. Blair was also the first American speed skater to win in more than one Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994). In 1979 she began training with Cathy Priestner, a Canadian speed skater who had won a silver medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics. "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." Blair has also become an accomplished motivational speaker, addressing audiences on such topics as "Achieving Your Personal Best." "Repeat for Blair." Bonnie Blair. Bonnie Blair Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. [23], Blair went on to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, where her first event was the 500 meters. She made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. At fifteen, Blair was named to the U.S. speed skating team. "Bonnie the blue." Who are Scott disick parents? Shortly after Blair's birth, her family moved to Champaign, Illinois. No matter what the competition is, I try to find a goal that day and better that goal. By the time of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Blair was regarded as one of the hopes for the future of American speed skating. Jenkins, Sally. American speed skater Encyclopedia.com. When Bonnie Blair was born on 1 March 1928, in Magoffin, Kentucky, United States, her father, Samuel Blair, was 46 and her mother, Louise Gambill, was 35. During her gold medal-winning race, she also set a world's record with a time of 39.1 seconds. [37] In addition to the 500 and 1,000 meters races, Blair also competing in the 1,500 meter distance missing the podium with a fourth place finish. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated (February 17, 1992): 38. However, the date of retrieval is often important. She was grateful for all of her successes, however, and for all the wonderful memories they gave her. "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." She was the first Canadian woman to win a medal in speed skating. ." [53][44] Blair's daughter competed at the 2018 United States Olympic speed skating trials at the 500 meter distance, held at Pettit National Ice Center. She soon regained her form and confidence, winning dozens of 500- and 1,000-meter races leading up to the 1992 Olympics. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, Petruso, A. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. "He's the hardest worker on the team," Blair later told Angus Phillips in the Washington Post, "and he got me into that, too. Then she went out and bettered Rothenburger's time by two hundredths of a second to win her first gold medal. She became almost as well known for her entourage of family and friendsa group deemed the Blair Bunch that had grown to more than 60 people by 1994who went with her to each of her Olympic competitions to cheer her on from the stands. Her hard work paid off when in 1985, she won the U.S. sprint championship. But Dave gave me real direction.". Because an indoor training oval, Pettit National Ice Center, opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Blair moved there from Champaign. She also set a world record for the 500-meter event in Heerenveen, Holland, at the end of the 1987 season. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Bonnie Blair is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Achieving Your Personal Best. Leo was born on January 4 1898, in Bountiful, Davis, Utah, United States. All Rights Reserved (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. When Bonnie Blair was born on 9 August 1914, in Letcher, Kentucky, United States, her father, William Blair, was 31 and her mother, Delia Pratt, was 35. When the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, came around, Blair was again favored to win. She also took these titles in 1995. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Blair Bunch was back even stronger at the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, with about 45 members swaying in unison in their purple team jackets and singing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." "Skating first." Time (March 7, 1988): 69. Blair's only disappointment was finishing 21st in the 1500 meter race. Her father, a bricklayer, died in 1914, and Emma Parker moved the family to "Cement City" in West Dallas to live closer to . Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. (The International Olympic Committee wanted Summer and Winter Olympic Games to alternate every two years.) Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1996. Encyclopedia of World Biography. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Now a world-class speed skater, Blair went on to set a world speed skating record in 1987, racing 500 meters in 39.43 seconds. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. She dominated the 500-meter and 1,000-meter women's events at three consecutive Olympic Games during her career. Blair won her first gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Canada. She repeated her victories in both 500m and 1000m speed. [32], Her success in the 1992 Olympics led to more attention for Blair. Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. Although she was small for a speed skater, Blairs technique was nearly flawless. Bonnie Blair owns a time-share in the international spotlight: She gets it for two weeks every Olympiad, and then they ask her to leave. As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. "Bonnie Blair [4] At age 7, Blair won her age group at the Illinois Speed Skating Championship. For her success, Blair was named the Babe Zaharis Female Amateur Athlete of the Year and sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated for 1994. I don't see any torture in this at all.". By the time she was in grade school, speed skating had become her number-one leisure activity. [26], Despite her success at the 1988 Olympics, Blair did not enjoy a windfall from endorsements. Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Blair. Join Facebook to connect with Bonnie Blair and others you may know. 18 March 1964 in Cornwall, New York), speed skater who dominated the sport between 1986 and 1995, winning five gold medals in three consecutive Winter Olympics. [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. Although she finished eighth in the event, Blair returned to the United States with a renewed dedication to her training and soon began to shine in national competitions. Barrow, who was 20, was a volatile ex-con and a wanted man who had vowed that he would . Rushin, Steve. She did some television commentary for speed skating. Imperial Oil Web Site. The second-place finisher, Ye Qiaobo of China, claimed to have been slowed down by an improper crossover from another skater. Bonnie Blair. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. Her total of six Olympic medals (five gold and a bronze) also made her the most successful American Winter Olympian in history. Matson, Barbara. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Russian speed skater 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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, "Blair, Bonnie At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), she could finish no better than eighth in the 500-metre event. Sports Illustrated for Women, February 2002. (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 . ." Blair wanted to continue to train for the 1984 Olympics and beyond, but had problems getting funding for her training. She embarked on a whirlwind travel schedule in Europe, taking on the world's best. Though four of Blair's other siblings went on to win national championships, it was Blair who did the best as a competitive speed skater. Now unquestionably a star, in 1994 Blair went on to her third Winter Olympics, which were held in Lille-hammer, Norway. [7], She is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. Sports Illustrated (February 7, 1994): 90. She has also made television commercials for such major corporations as McDonald's and AT&T. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Ye Qiaobo was expected to challenge Bonnie Blair in Calgary's 1988 Olympic . par | Juin 16, 2022 | east bridgewater town election 2021 | valleydale hot dogs | Juin 16, 2022 | east bridgewater town election 2021 | valleydale hot dogs At the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, she captured the gold medal in both the 500- and 1,000-metre competitions, a feat that she repeated at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. 1957- How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? For nearly a decade betw, Heiden, Eric Sports Illustrated (March 6, 1989): 32. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is our local Olympic superstar: five time gold medalist, six medals overall. Blair told Brian Cazeneuve of The Sporting News, "I'm the one who puts pressure on myself. 23 Feb. 2023 . Born in Cornwall, New York on March 18, 1964 as the youngest of six children, her family moved to Champaign, Illinois and Bonnie first donned skates at the age of two and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. Bonnie Blair was married to Raymond W. Blair on May 7, 2004 in Johnson County, Texas. Her final, record-breaking time for the 500-meter sprint was 38.99 seconds. This is an individual sport.". From early in her career, Blair's father was convinced that she would win Olympic Gold. New York Times (February 11, 1992): B11. Most of all, she told Karen Rosen in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution in 1998, "I'm really grateful for VCRs so I can go back and relive it. Explore Bonnie Blair Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Husband, Family relation. These dramatic accomplishments earned her the 1992 Sullivan Award as the nation's leading amateur athlete and the 1992 U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Sportswoman of the Year Award. Bonnie Parker, outlaw partner of Clyde Barrow, was born at Rowena, Texas, on October 1, 1910, to Henry and Emma Parker. 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. With her gold medals and winning personality to match, Blair captured the imagination of the American public, becoming a media darling and a favorite among fans. The results were impressive. [34] Blair felt as though she had lost her quickness and after failing to rectify the problem with coach Peter Mueller, she switched to Nick Thometz. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair. At the Olympics, Blair was cheered on by her large extended family, including her parents, her brother Chuck, her sister Mary, along with Mary's husband and children, her sister Susie, her brother Rob and his wife and child, her sister Angela, and her uncle Lennie, along with the friends of all of her family members. [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. All these elder siblings became a canopy of extra moms and dads under which Bonnie grew up. [30] Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Blair regained her competitive edge. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. To become an Olympic champion, Blair needed further training as well as racing experience on the long track. Boston Globe (January 9, 2002): F7. No longer a relative unknown, Blair was considered a favorite when she headed to the 1992 Winter Olympics held in Albertville, France. Her death was announced in a statement that. 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. . [43] That same year she was a member of the U.S. Olympic delegation to Sochi. In both races, she was pushed by Ye Qiaobo of China who earned two silver medals. Encyclopedia.com. When training in Milwaukee, she enrolled at Parkland College but did not graduate. She did not medal, but finished eighth in the 500-meter race. In early 1995, she set another world's record in the 500 meters skating on the Olympic oval in Calgary where she won her first medal. Copyright 2023 Web Solutions LLC. [34][35] At the 1993 World Sprint Championships, Blair did not win any of her four races finishing behind rival Ye Qiabo. [45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. [48][49], Blair began dating fellow Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank in 1990. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Share Memory. Blair lost focus for a while after the death of her father on December 25, 1989. Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. team. This victory was bittersweet for Blair, since she knew it was to be the last Olympics in which she would compete. 1958- She had an older brother, Hubert (Buster), and a younger sister, Billie. [50] Blair and Cruikshank have two children: a son, Grant, and daughter, Blair. The Champaign police department sponsored a campaign to support "Champaign Policemen's Favorite Speeder," raising $7,000 for Blair so that she could move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and practice there with other competitive skaters. Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater. Cloud State Men's Hockey @SCSUHuskies_MH . Cazeneuve, Brian. Speed skating and also worked for the Olympic Committee. "Blair Has a FlairFor Gold." Photos and Memories (0) Do you know Bonnie? After retiring from skating, Blair had two children (son Grant and daughter Blair), worked as a motivational speaker, and wrote a book about her accomplishments, A Winning Edge (1996). Blair took up speed skating when she was two years old, joining a family of avid speed skaters. (She finished fourth in the 1500 meter race.) Realizing that success required both dedication and sacrifice, she gave up her spot on the Centennial High School cheerleading team to focus on skating and competitions. 5", "Bonnie Blair: Biography from Answers.com", "Thanks to CC hockey for a memorable 3", "Wisconsin GOP lawmakers propose banning transgender athletes from women's sports", World Champions in Short Track Speed Skating Women's Overall, Olympic champions in women's 500 m speed skating, Olympic champions in women's 1000 m speed skating, World champions in women's sprint speed skating, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, United States women's national soccer team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bonnie_Blair&oldid=1132850666, Speed skaters at the 1984 Winter Olympics, Speed skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics, Speed skaters at the 1992 Winter Olympics, Speed skaters at the 1994 Winter Olympics, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in speed skating, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in speed skating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 22:20. During the Olympics, Blair was given the nickname "Bonnie the Blur." [5]:44 Confidence in coach Crowe had waned in the lead up to the 1988 Olympics, Blair helped to recruit Peter Mueller to coach the U.S. team. http://www.imperialoil.ca/thisis/publications/review/2001q4 (January 5, 2003). ." By those 10 1/2 inches, 23-year-old Bonnie Blair did what Mary Lou Retton didn't have the chance to do in gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles: defeat the world's best. She again won the world sprint title in 1994, also winning the World Cup 500- and 1,000-metre races that year. Blair continued to serve on the board for U.S. Facebook gives people the power to. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Death: May 16, 1976 (47) Prestonsburg, floyd, Kentucky, United States. Bonnie worked at the Sleezer Home in Freeport until retirement in 2016. [26] At her post race press conference, Blair confirmed Lillehammer would be her last Olympic games.[38]. [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. [2][4] She completed her high school diploma through the mail in 1982. Jenkins, Sally. She was raised in Illinois, but she moved to Milwaukee to further her speed-skating career. To win the 500-meter event, Blair beat Chinese skater Ye Qiaobo by 18 hundredths of a second.