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. Known as "The Flying Finn" and "The King of Runners," he do, Bonnie and Clyde (Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow), Bonnevault, Pierre (ca. She contracted a severe case of bronchitis that affected her breathing. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. Four days later, she took the gold in the 1,000-meter race, winning by just two one-hundredths of a second. [42] As of 2014, Blair worked as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. [31], In her second event, the 1,500 meters, Blair finished 21st. [17], During this time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track. "To mettle the medal." Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater. team. (The International Olympic Committee wanted Summer and Winter Olympic Games to alternate every two years.) Although she was small for a speed skater, Blairs technique was nearly flawless. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Search instead in Creative? [37] Blair's success at Lillehammer placed her among the most decorate American Olympians of all time. Williams, Lena. Bonnie was something of an afterthought in the Blair family scheme, coming 21 years after Chuck, the Blairs' first child, and seven years after Angela, their fifth. Blair returned to the Olympics in 1988 competing in long-track at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. She was the first Canadian woman to win a medal in speed skating. Rushin, Steve. 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. After the turn of the twenty-first century, Blair still found herself involved in speed skating, even though she no longer competed. She received help from the local Champaign community. Reilly, Rick. At fifteen, Blair was named to the U.S. speed skating team. "Blair Has a FlairFor Gold." [5]:44, The 1990-1991 season had setbacks for Blair. All these elder siblings became a canopy of extra moms and dads under which Bonnie grew up. [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. "It was a nice ending.". [28] The win made Blair the first U.S. woman to win a world sprint championship in nearly a decade. [34] At the 1994, U.S. Olympic long-track trials at the Pettit National Ice Center, Blair set track records in the first round of the 500 meter and 1,000 meter trails. That's where Bonnie, born in Illinois, moved to train. revlon flex conditioner review; is frankenstein 1931 movie public domain; bonnie blair siblings She also took these titles in 1995. She also was a cheerleader and on student council. She did not win any medals, but it proved a valuable experience for her. Bonnie was born March 18, 1964. 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. [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. Margie Frances Walter Rogers . Longman, Jere. Encyclopedia.com. Bonnie Blairwas raised in Champaign, Illinois. She counts herself lucky in being able to maintain such an active retirement, noting that not all Olympic gold medalists have been as fortunate. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. In 1979 she began training with Cathy Priestner, a Canadian speed skater who had won a silver medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Blair had more success in 1984, making the U.S. women's speed skating team for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Newsday (February 6, 1994): 16. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. It was the first time a woman had won two Olympic gold medals for the 500-meter event in two successive Winter Olympics. Instead, she skated vicariously through her husband, who competed in international events. Join Facebook to connect with Bonnie Blair and others you may know. Corrections? Priestner had been an Olympic medalist herself, winning silver when she represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1976. She won a number of races as a child, including the Illinois state championship when she was seven. American speed skater Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. [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. Blair would also hold a number of world's and American records over the course of her speed skating career. In Champaign, I'd miss a workout or two. Watch a short video featuring Bonnie Blair. Also at the 1988 Olympics, Blair won the bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. 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. 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. In 1989 she won her first world sprint championship. As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. [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. With a new world record of 39.1 seconds, Blair became the first American woman since 1976 to win a gold medal in speed skating. bonnie blair siblingsmeadowglen lane apartments. . Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie. [16] Blair won both the 500 meter and 1500 meter at the West Allis event, and was considered one of the U.S. team's strongest medal contenders. Omissions? [5]:44 The breathing problem lingered through the 1991 World Sprint Championships where she finished fifth. Russian speed skater "Blair, Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. 9.04M subscribers Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe Highlights as Bonnie Blair takes part in her third Olympic Games. Though she knew she was retiring, she left on top. 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 C and 7 others. New York Times (February 9, 1987): 166. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. There she won her first Olympic gold medal in the 500 meters and a bronze medal in the 1,000 meter. Place of Burial: Paintsville, Johnson, Kentucky, United States. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. [28] She skipped the first two World Cup events of the 1989 season. [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. She was only 5'5" and 125-130 lbs. "Skating first." 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). "Child of innocence." ." ABC-CLIO, 1996. She cut back on her skating and took up competitive bicycle racing. Blair first donned skates at the age of two, and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. In fact, Charlie Blair had his children at a competition while his youngest child was being born. Sports Illustrated (March 6, 1989): 32. Many athletes wait too long, until their skills have begun to melt and slide like snow from a roof. Retton's all . Bonnie Blair President: V B S, INC: Ste 105-148, Gilbert, AZ 85297 3733 E Janelle Ct, Gilbert, AZ 85297: Bonnie Blair President, Chief Executive Officer: Happy Helpers Inc Help Supply Services: 137 N Main St, Fairport, NY 14450 54 West Ave, Ste 2, Fairport, NY 14450 (585) 425-2680: Bonnie B. Blair Principal: Bonnie Blair Massage Misc Personal . Blair broke the 39-second mark by skating it in 38.13 seconds. See also Alexander Wolff, "Bonnie's Bounty: Unassuming Bonnie Blair Sped to Victory in 1,000 Meters to Become the U.S.'s Most Gilded Woman Olympian Ever," Sports Illustrated (7 Mar. Blair finished fourth in a national sprint competition for cyclists. And, as she told Barbara Matson in the Boston Globe, "Crossing that [finish] line was the happiest moment of my life.". I just want to go fast. As the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France, approached, Blair regained her focus on speed skating. Also in 1984, Blair competed at the Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. [2][25] For her second event of the games, Blair had a personal best and briefly set an Olympic record in the 1,000 meters. During the Olympics, Blair was given the nickname "Bonnie the Blur." Cycling became part of Blair's speed skating training as both sports utilized the same muscle groups. [19] Although Blair was four inches shorter than Enke-Kania, Blair's technique and fast start time made her a formidable competitor. Wolff, Alexander. Encyclopedia of World Biography. [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. Encyclopedia.com. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. 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. "Blair has not Slowed Down: Family is her Life, Not Speed skating." Rushin, Steve. 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. Best. ." 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. (February 23, 2023). She soon regained her form and confidence, winning dozens of 500- and 1,000-meter races leading up to the 1992 Olympics. [46] In 2004, she was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. [7][39] Less than a month after Lillehammer Olympics, Blair set another world record in the 500 meters, becoming the first female to complete the race in under 39 seconds, achieving a time of 38.99 seconds. During her gold medal-winning race, she also set a world's record with a time of 39.1 seconds. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is our local Olympic superstar: five time gold medalist, six medals overall. Blair continued to serve on the board for U.S. "Time after time." And as far as skating goes, she's got a lot of class.". With family members and dozens of friends, teammates, and fans cheering her on, Blair made her best start ever and zipped through the course in 39.1 seconds, setting a new world record and winning the gold medal. Speed skater Eric Heiden won five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. In the summer of 1991 Blair resumed full-time training back in Milwaukee under her new coach, Peter Mueller. Terms of Use, Lee-Kyung Chun Biography - Olympic Career, Post Olympic Achievements, Chronology, Further Information, Awards And Accomplishments, Bonnie Blair - Competed At Olympic Trials, Bonnie Blair - Related Biography: Coach Cathy Priestner, Bonnie Blair - Awards And Accomplishments. Born December 29, 1911, in Hopkins County, KY, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Monroe Dockery and Thurman Fox Dockery. Now unquestionably a star, in 1994 Blair went on to her third Winter Olympics, which were held in Lille-hammer, Norway. A year later she captured her first World Short-Track Championship by winning three of the four events. [44] [7], It wasn't until 1979 when Olympic medalist Cathy Priestner Faminow became Blair's coach that Blair switched from pack style to long track speed skating in which skaters compete for the fastest time. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. [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. Sports Illustrated (December 6, 1987): section 2, p. 10. 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. [28] At the event, Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory. Bonnie Blair. She also captured a bronze medal in the 1,000-meter event, becoming the only U.S. athlete to win more than one medal at Calgary. The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. 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. memorial page for Bonnie Crest Walter Blair (18 Sep 1907-20 Mar 1998), Find a Grave Memorial ID 41060206, citing Oleander Memorial Gardens, Wilmington, New Hanover County . In both races, she was pushed by Ye Qiaobo of China who earned two silver medals. [33] The attempt to compete at her fourth Olympics was not without its challenges; the 1993 season was lackluster for Blair.
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