1958- Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. The, Parra, Derek: 1970: Athlete Her winning time was slower than her record setting pace in Calgary, however, the venue in Albertville was outdoors creating conditions which were less conducive for speed skating. 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. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Chambers, 1997. The results were impressive. (The International Olympic Committee wanted Summer and Winter Olympic Games to alternate every two years.) At the Olympic Games, Blair had the support of her family, the so-called "Blair Bunch" which consisted of immediate and extended family members who attended a number of her more important races en masse. login . [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. In 1989, she won the World Sprint Championships, though she did not train as hard as she had for the Olympics. In 2021, Blair spoke out in opposition to allowing male-to-female transgender athletes to participate in organized athletics.[54]. Blair made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the 500-meter event at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She also won two gold medals at the '92 . 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. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. After the Olympics, Blair continued her education, studying physical education at Montana Tech University. Blair was touched by the adulations of the crowd, saying that she had never heard any group of spectators cheer so hard for her. Johnson, Anne Janette. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. New York Times (January 16, 2002): D7. She was named as the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and the USOC Sportswoman of the Year. [37] Blair won the 1992 Oscar Mathisen Award (being the first female winner of this award). 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). Updates? [19] She followed up her World Cup titles in by setting her first world record in the 500 meters with a time 39.43 seconds. She and Apolo Anton Ohno are both world-famous speed skaters. Blair trained every morning before school and her discipline paid off; at age fifteen she qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials, but narrowly missed making the team. She dominated the 500-meter and 1,000-meter women's events at three consecutive Olympic Games during her career. She also took these titles in 1995. Blair first donned skates at the age of two, and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. After fellow speed skater Johann Olav Koss founded Right to Play in 2000, he recruited Blair to serve as one of the charities first celebrity ambassadors. Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. "Blair Enjoys Being Olympic Spectator." "Blair Has a FlairFor Gold." . Though she did well at the meet, she did not make the team. [8] Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree. Blair was the youngest of six children of Charlie, a civil engineer, and Eleanor Blair, a homemaker. Though Blair trained for the Olympics like they were any other meet, she dominated the trials in the 500, 1000, and 1500 meter races. This allowed Blair to train seriously, including one stint with the U.S. men's speed skating team in Butte, Montana. [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. She remained connected to speed skating by serving as a coach and conducting clinics. And, as she told Barbara Matson in the Boston Globe, "Crossing that [finish] line was the happiest moment of my life.". [39][8] There, Blair won the 500 meters with a time of 39.54 seconds. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. "Blair, Bonnie She began training with Cathy Priestner, who had won a silver medal in speed skating for Canada in the 1976 games, at the University of Illinois rink. Now unquestionably a star, in 1994 Blair went on to her third Winter Olympics, which were held in Lille-hammer, Norway. Speed skating and also worked for the Olympic Committee. 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 ). For Blair, a skater in the prime of her career, the new schedule was an opportunity to try again for Olympic gold. (February 23, 2023). But Blair is going out on top." Bonnie Blair of Champaign, IL, races in the women's 500 meter speed skating event at Hamar Olympic Hall in Hamar, Norway, Saturday, February 19, 1994. Bonnie Parker first met Clyde Barrow through a mutual friend in January 1930, when Bonnie was 19 years old. 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. Blair wanted to continue to train for the 1984 Olympics and beyond, but had problems getting funding for her training. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. [19] Blair held a world record at 500 meters until December 1987 when Christa Rothenburger beat her time at the World Cup. She was the youngest of six children. Bonnie (Blair) Roos. Bonnie Blair. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. Encyclopedia.com. Blair also continued to improve her already great technique. Parrish, Paula. In 1986, Blair set her first world's record in the 500 meters. Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) was one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Bonnie Elaine Lorenc (born Blair) was born on month day 1925, at birth place, Utah, to Leo Amos Blair and Myrtle Hannah Blair (born Christensen). Blair made her Olympic debut in Sarajevo in 1984 where she finished eighth in the 500 meters. Olympic speed skating competitions were conducted differently. 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. [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. [2][4] She completed her high school diploma through the mail in 1982. Many athletes wait too long, until their skills have begun to melt and slide like snow from a roof. [2][3] To end the games, Blair was chosen to carry the American flag at the closing ceremonies. [43] As of 2018, Blair serves on the board of the Pettit National Ice Center. The 53-year-old champion has stayed close to the sport, serving on the Pettit's board of directors and promoting Milwaukee, which is hosting. Cruikshank's mother is five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair and her dad is four-time Olympian Dave Cruikshank. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. I love to go fast and create the wind. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bonnie-Blair, Bonnie Blair - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Notable Sports Figures. Sports Illustrated (March 7, 1994): 42. Father's influence Anthony Charles Lynton Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 6, 1953. [32] Blair's gold made her the most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympics of all time. The . In 1992, Blair received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. American speed skater Bonnie Blairwas born on the 18 March 1953in Cornwall, New Yorkto Eleanor and Charlie Blair. Toronto Star, January 11, 1995; March 19, 1995. She also set a world record for the 500-meter event in Heerenveen, Holland, at the end of the 1987 season. At the time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating. Williams, Lena. When the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, came around, Blair was again favored to win. Though she knew she was retiring, she left on top. Janofsky, Michael. Russian speed skater Blair herself was introduced to the sport when she was just two years old. 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. http://www.imperialoil.ca/thisis/publications/review/2001q4 (January 5, 2003). It was another first for a female athleteno other woman had ever won five Olympic gold medals for individual events. [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. At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), she could finish no better than eighth in the 500-metre event. Best. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. (b. Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. Parker, Bonnie (1910-1934). [28], Following the 1988 Olympics, Blair also tried track cycle racing, and was coached by former speed skater and cycling world champion Connie Paraskevin. "Time after time." Watch a short video featuring Bonnie Blair. ." Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. "The last lap." She also was a cheerleader and on student council. Janofsky, Michael. She counts herself lucky in being able to maintain such an active retirement, noting that not all Olympic gold medalists have been as fortunate. She did some television commentary for speed skating. In 1979 she began training with Cathy Priestner, a Canadian speed skater who had won a silver medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Born December 29, 1911, in Hopkins County, KY, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Monroe Dockery and Thurman Fox Dockery. Petruso, A. Blair's athletic achievements, combined with her friendly, down-to-earth manner, earned her recognition from journalists as an "All-American girl." American track and field athlete private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; Cazeneuve, Brian. [4] At age 7, Blair won her age group at the Illinois Speed Skating Championship. In 1985, Blair won the North American indoor speed skating championship, and in 1986, she again won the U.S. indoor title. Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is, Moses, Edwin 1955 In her teens, Blair began to apply herself to the sport of speed skating as she never had before, largely at the encouragement of her friend Dave Silk, who competed on the men's U.S. team. Phillips, Angus. Priestner had Blair train in the Olympic style on both short and long-track races. Copyright 2023 Web Solutions LLC. Having gained five gold medals and one bronze medal in three Olympic Games, Blair became the most decorated female Winter Olympian in U.S. history. To win the 500-meter event, Blair beat Chinese skater Ye Qiaobo by 18 hundredths of a second. Before Priestner, Blair only competed in short-track, pack-style racing. Mother of bonnie Fay wiszniewski; Private and Private. Blair took up speed skating when she was two years old, joining a family of avid speed skaters. [14], At the December 1987 U.S. speed skating trials for the 1988 Winter Olympics, Blair led the women's field in the 500,1,000, and 1,500 meters, securing her place on the U.S. Olympic team, as expected. Her retirement from the sport, however, created a void in the talent pool of U.S. speed skaters that would be felt in the years to come. Blair won her first gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Canada. [47] She was awarded a star (#7) on The Flag for Hope on September 29, 2015 in recognition of her outstanding Speed Skating Career and philanthropic efforts. [2] Two of Blair's competitors, who skated after her, subsequently beat her time; thus Blair won the bronze in the 1,000 meters. The following summer Blair moved to Butte, Montana, where she enrolled at the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. Blair also won the World Cup points championship 11 times. Bonnie Blair, in full Bonnie Kathleen Blair, (born March 18, 1964, Cornwall, New York, U.S.), American speed skater who was one of the leading competitors in the sport. Bonnie Blair Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. "Retiring at Top Speed." [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. Nobody makes you do it. [5]:44, The 1990-1991 season had setbacks for Blair. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Petruso, A. [39] The Blair Bunch, the name given to Blair's family and friends, accounted for 12% of the crowd at the Pettit National Ice Center. She did not medal, but finished eighth in the 500-meter race. [17], During this time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track. bonnie blair siblingsmeadowglen lane apartments. Notable Sports Figures. Blair lives in Delafield, Wisconsin, with her husband and their son Grant and daughter Blair. Four of her siblings would hold speedskating titles. [26], Despite her success at the 1988 Olympics, Blair did not enjoy a windfall from endorsements. Looney, Douglas S. "Bring back Bonnie." [11] Her time was only 0.02 seconds faster than Ye. 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. I'm definitely going to miss hearing the sound of that gun. Her win in the 500-meter event broke the world record, which had been set only minutes before by the East German skater Christa Rothenburger.
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