Ye Qiaobo was expected to challenge Bonnie Blair in Calgary's 1988 Olympic . She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. [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. It's a solitary sport, one in which you can claim all the rewards as your own. She also set a record in the 1000 meters with a time of 1:19.3. Blair has also become an accomplished motivational speaker, addressing audiences on such topics as "Achieving Your Personal Best." private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; Blair won her first gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Canada. [18], Early in 1987, Blair won World Cup titles in the 500 and 1,000 meters. "Blades of gold." Blair continued to have success on the international level, though she also challenged herself to find ways to win. [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. 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. Janofsky, Michael. 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. Williams, Lena. [37] Blair won the 1992 Oscar Mathisen Award (being the first female winner of this award). . In addition to her ongoing endorsement commitments, Blair serves as a sports commentator on the ABC television network and sits on the board of directors of the U.S. speed skating team. Nobody makes you do it. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. In 1986, Blair set her first world's record in the 500 meters. She was the youngest of six children. [50] Blair and Cruikshank have two children: a son, Grant, and daughter, Blair. 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). She and her husband, fellow speed skater Dave Cruikshank, made their home in Milwaukee, and Blair kept up a heavy travel schedule, flying to different cities around the country to meet various corporate endorsement obligations. Jeansonne, John. After the Olympics, Blair continued her education, studying physical education at Montana Tech University. 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. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, and in her Olympic career won five gold medals and one bronze medal. Blair lives in Delafield, Wisconsin, with her husband and their son Grant and daughter Blair. . Great Women in Sports. Sports Illustrated (March 7, 1994): 42. Blair's last year as a competitive speed skater was 1995. Encyclopedia.com. In the summer of 1991 Blair resumed full-time training back in Milwaukee under her new coach, Peter Mueller. Training remained her focus, however. ." From early in her career, Blair's father was convinced that she would win Olympic Gold. Blair was also the first American speed skater to win in more than one Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994). [19] Although Blair was four inches shorter than Enke-Kania, Blair's technique and fast start time made her a formidable competitor. Heather McCabe in the Houston Chronicle. Watch a short video featuring Bonnie Blair. Blair won events at 1984, 1985 and 1986 short-track world championships and was the 1986 overall short-track world champion. Occupation Singer Family Father - David Glyndwr Hopkins Mother - Elsie Hopkins She received 5 gold medals and one bronze over her profession. 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. The Life Summary of Bonnie. Dec 6, 2013. 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. When Blair was sixteen, she competed at her first Olympic trials for the 1980 Winter Olympics. And, as she told Barbara Matson in the Boston Globe, "Crossing that [finish] line was the happiest moment of my life.". [30] Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Blair regained her competitive edge. [7][9], Blair made her international competitive debut at the 1984 World Sprinting Championships where she placed tenth. 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. When the gun goes off, I don't worry about the person next to me. She won five gold medals and one bronze over her career. Bonnie Parker, outlaw partner of Clyde Barrow, was born at Rowena, Texas, on October 1, 1910, to Henry and Emma Parker. Blair finished fourth in a national sprint competition for cyclists. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. 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 competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Looney, Douglas S. "Bring back Bonnie." Blair won two gold medals in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and her final two Olympic gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair. Also in 1984, Blair competed at the Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. 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. Blair made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the 500-meter event at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She surpassed her 1988 Olympic performance, taking home the gold medal not only in the 500-meter event, but in the 1,000-meter race as well. "Bonnie's bounty." "The last lap." "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. In fact, Charlie Blair had his children at a competition while his youngest child was being born. Sports Illustrated (February 7, 1994): 90. [3] She participated in her first skating meet at age 4. So, the police department in Champaign stepped in to raise money for her trip, holding a series of raffles and bake sales. 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. professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks, donated $1,500 for her trip. Blair first donned skates at the age of two, and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. 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. Thus, the next Winter Games would be held in February 1994. [10] Later that year, Blair appeared at her first Olympic games at age 19 in Sarajevo. She won the 500 meters with a time of 39.1 seconds and the 1000 meters with a time of 1:18.74. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. Blair broke the 39-second mark by skating it in 38.13 seconds. She achieved personal bests in all four of her events and recorded the fastest time of any junior in three of them. [27] Blair also took a break from skating, enrolling in Montana Technological University. 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. And as far as skating goes, she's got a lot of class.". Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. She was born to Wayne and Delma (Guenzler) Blair on June 9 th 1951. She did not medal, but finished eighth in the 500-meter race. She also began serving on the board for U.S. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." Time (March 7, 1988): 69. Russian speed skater Who are Scott disick parents? In December, Blair Cruikshank competed at the USA Speedskating Long Track National Championships in Utah. [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. (February 23, 2023). Death: May 16, 1976 (47) Prestonsburg, floyd, Kentucky, United States. New York Times (February 19, 1995): section 8, p. 1. The, Parra, Derek: 1970: Athlete 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. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before. That is, races that were conducted with a number of skaters competing against each other in a pack. 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 ). To win the 500-meter event, Blair beat Chinese skater Ye Qiaobo by 18 hundredths of a second. Blair told Shannon Brownlee of Sports Illustrated, "Skating is a joy. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bonnie-Blair, Bonnie Blair - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). As a teenager Blair began to take the sport more seriously. [4] At age 15, Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt. Blair also continued to improve her already great technique. Bonnie Blair. She was named as the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and the USOC Sportswoman of the Year. [7] Blair topped her own World Record the following year, achieving a time of 38.69 on February 12, 1995 in Calgary. Mother of bonnie Fay wiszniewski; Private and Private. Blair's European trip had the desired effect, sharpening her skills for more competition. At fifteen, Blair was named to the U.S. speed skating team. She went on to ISU to get her degree in criminal justice. She contracted a severe case of bronchitis that affected her breathing. Phillips, Angus. Blair won the 1000 meter race by only .02 seconds. As Blair approached the final 400 meters, Mueller gave the signal. Moving on, she has a net worth of approximately $1.5 million dollars. [16][10] On the 1985-1986 World Cup Circuit, Blair finished fourth in four distances: the 500 meter, 1,000 meter, and 1,500 meter. Bonnie Blair At the time, Blair worked as the secretary of the Retail Clerks International Union, which has since become part of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1529. The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. Longman, Jere. To become an Olympic champion, Blair needed further training as well as racing experience on the long track. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. She ran wherever her coach decided he was missing a bodyon the long jump, high jump, short distances, and relays. Bonnie Parker has 2 siblings, a brother, and a sister. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). "Whooosh!." [39][8] There, Blair won the 500 meters with a time of 39.54 seconds. She lived up to the hype by winning a gold medal in the 500 meters and a bronze in the 1000 meters. Bonnie Parker was born on October 1, 1910. Blair knew how to win and took advantage of it. In both races, she was pushed by Ye Qiaobo of China who earned two silver medals. After the games ended, she received a number of commercial endorsements that funded her training, including Disney World and other commercials, though these opportunities were not as numerous or long-lived as originally hoped. She had an older brother, Hubert (Buster), and a younger sister, Billie. Boston Globe (January 9, 2002): F7. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, "Blair, Bonnie ." When Derek Parra set a new world record in the men's 1,500-meter speedskating competition at the 2002 Winter Olympics, h, Paavo Nurmi She also won two gold medals at the '92 . Encyclopedia.com. The results were impressive. To celebrate, she climbed into the stands, still wearing her skates, to hug her family and friends. Blair told Brian Cazeneuve of The Sporting News, "I'm the one who puts pressure on myself. "Blair, Bonnie The second-place finisher, Ye Qiaobo of China, claimed to have been slowed down by an improper crossover from another skater. Blair dedicated her successes in Albertville to the memory of her father, who had died on Christmas Day 1989. 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. bonnie blair siblings. Cazeneuve, Brian. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. "One-woman ice show." 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. Blair's athletic achievements, combined with her friendly, down-to-earth manner, earned her recognition from journalists as an "All-American girl." Many athletes wait too long, until their skills have begun to melt and slide like snow from a roof. Margie Frances Walter Rogers . Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. Jenkins, Sally. . "Blair, Bonnie She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. [31], In her second event, the 1,500 meters, Blair finished 21st. She counts herself lucky in being able to maintain such an active retirement, noting that not all Olympic gold medalists have been as fortunate. ." Bonnie Blair Sports, Goal, Physical Attraction 15 Copy quote Four key words--helped make my dreams come true. [37] Blair's success at Lillehammer placed her among the most decorate American Olympians of all time. [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. "Blair has not Slowed Down: Family is her Life, Not Speed skating." Petruso, A. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Blair was also the first American speed skater to win in more than one Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994). During the Olympics, Blair was given the nickname "Bonnie the Blur." "Yanks on the move." She did not win any medals, but it proved a valuable experience for her. [2][3] To end the games, Blair was chosen to carry the American flag at the closing ceremonies. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair, "Bonnie Blair Christensen, Karen, et al., eds. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Rushin, Steve. After the turn of the twenty-first century, Blair still found herself involved in speed skating, even though she no longer competed. 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. Johnson, Anne Janette. She also took these titles in 1995. "Time after time." St. 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. Born in Philadelphia, she was the youngest of six children. Bonnie Kathleen Blair Priestner had been an Olympic medalist herself, winning silver when she represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1976. Blair lost focus for a while after the death of her father on December 25, 1989. Bonnie Pointer, a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter who was a founding member of vocal group the Pointer Sisters, has died at the age of 69. Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. Brownlee, Shannon. 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. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair received more honors and product endorsement offers. During this last season, she shattered her world record time for the 500-meter sprint twice. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. . Encyclopedia.com. Best. 5-time Olympic gold medalist speedskater Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is still hitting the ice at 57-years-old. [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. 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. In Olympic style, skaters skated in pairs against the clock. In winning the 1,000-meter event, Blair again beat Ye, this time by a mere two hundredths of a second. . She received help from the local Champaign community. It was an expensive undertaking, but with the help of her family, friends, and money from the Champaign police department, Blair was able to go. People Photos Purpose. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 56 years old? Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. New York Times (January 16, 2002): D7. Bonnie Blair was married to Raymond W. Blair on May 7, 2004 in Johnson County, Texas. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. "Bonnie Blue (now Bonnie Vaughn) lived across the street . "A Bonnie blare." Washington Post (February 11, 1994): H5. [3] Early on, Blair competed in "pack style," or short track speed skating, where several skaters race on the ice at once. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. The trials were a breeze for her. "Skating first." Facebook gives people the power to. Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. Updates? (February 23, 2023). I just want to go fast. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. "Repeat for Blair." Team", "Winter Olympics: Calgary: BLAIR WITH HER: U.S.'s Leading Skater Hopes She's Worth Her Weight in Gold", "Winter Olympics: In Flash of a Skate, Blair Wins the Gold, Sets Record in 500", "GOLD: Blair has decade of Olympic thoughts to remember", "No Endorsement Windfall Seen For The Stars Of Calgary Games", "Sports World Specials: Cycling: A Smooth-as-Ice Switch", "The Olympics Winter Games at Albertville: Blair Is Golden for 500 Meters: Speedskating: In a popular victory, she becomes the first woman to win the event in consecutive Olympics", "Blair Wins Second Gold by a Skate: Speedskating: She beats Ye by 0.02 seconds to become most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympics history", "SPEEDSKATING: Blair Pushes Herself to Two Records", "ESPN Classic - Blair marches to record fifth gold medal", "Blair earns high five in Olympic farewell LIillehammer '94", "How speed skaters and Right to Play are inspiring kids around the world", "New Blair on big oval: Bonnie's daughter is a speedskater", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Notable US Olympic Hall of Fame inductees", "Bonnie Blair Cruikshank paints star on Flag of Hope", "Cover Story: Weddings of the Year Vol.