." 1957- Looney, Douglas S. "Sprinting to Calgary." Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. After the Albertville games ended, Blair again took the opportunity created by her celebrity. In fact, Charlie Blair had his children at a competition while his youngest child was being born. [7][9], Blair made her international competitive debut at the 1984 World Sprinting Championships where she placed tenth. Blair was touched by the adulations of the crowd, saying that she had never heard any group of spectators cheer so hard for her. In 1985, Blair won the North American indoor speed skating championship, and in 1986, she again won the U.S. indoor title. She received 5 gold medals and one bronze over her profession. She was the youngest of six children, all of whom learned to skate at an early age. New York Times (February 9, 1987): 166. Blair told Brian Cazeneuve of The Sporting News, "I'm the one who puts pressure on myself. She has been married to Dave Cruikshank since June 23, 1996. [20] Blair continued on to the 1995 World Championships in her adopted home town of Milwaukee. "The last lap." In winning the 500- and 1,000-meter speed-skating racesgiving her five career gold medals and a bronze, earned over three sets of gamesBlair proved herself to be the greatest female sprint . Before American speed skaters Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair raced to fame as Olympic champions, Soviet sp, Ashford, Evelyn [34][35] At the 1993 World Sprint Championships, Blair did not win any of her four races finishing behind rival Ye Qiabo. No matter what the competition is, I try to find a goal that day and better that goal. Also at the 1988 Olympics, Blair won the bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." She did not medal, but finished eighth in the 500-meter race. Many athletes wait too long, until their skills have begun to melt and slide like snow from a roof. In March 1995, shortly after winning the World Cup and setting a new world record in the 500-meter event, Blair retired from competitive speed skating. Rushin, Steve. Bonnie Blair. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. [3] She moved to the Milwaukee area to train with the United States national speed skating team,[7] living with a family friend while she trained. On 23 June 1996 she married Dave Cruikshank, a fellow speed skater on the U.S. Olympic There she won two more gold medals, for both the 500-meter and the 1,000-meter races. 5-time Olympic gold medalist speedskater Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is still hitting the ice at 57-years-old. private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; 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. [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. Bonnie Blair C and 7 others. [4] At age 15, Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. Bonnie E Blair of Texas was born c. 1944. Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York, USA. In the summer of 1991 Blair resumed full-time training back in Milwaukee under her new coach, Peter Mueller. 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 would win this championship every year through 1994. In 1987, she won the World Cup in both the 500 and 1000 meter races. Sports Illustrated for Women, February 2002. ." International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. and its Licensors Bonnie Blair She was the first Canadian woman to win a medal in speed skating. "Repeat for Blair." Margie Frances Walter Rogers . "A Bonnie blare." Ten years later, however, doctors were able to remove about half of the tumor, giving Blair and her family hope for a cure. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair continued to compete. [45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. 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 ). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 6, 2002; February 18, 2002. She continued to compete in part because there were only two years between these Olympic Games. Sherrow, Victoria. This sensational run made Blair the top gold medalist at the festival. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. Sports Illustrated named Blair their Sportswoman of the Year for 1994. She again won the world sprint title in 1994, also winning the World Cup 500- and 1,000-metre races that year. Bonnie Blair, 92, of Dawson Springs, KY, died Friday, January 9, 2004, at 7:13 A.M., at her residence. Instead, she skated vicariously through her husband, who competed in international events. How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is, Moses, Edwin 1955 She hired a different coach, Nick Thometz, who emphasized something different for Blair: explosive drills over strength and distance training. 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. [42] As of 2014, Blair worked as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. Search instead in Creative? Sports Illustrated (February 28, 1994): 18. Speed skating and also worked for the Olympic Committee. [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. Her husband, Dave Cruikshank, was also a speed skater and she served as his technical consultant. They have two children. [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. For example, Blair finished fifth in the 1991 World Sprint Championships, though she was also suffering from bronchitis at the time. So, the police department in Champaign stepped in to raise money for her trip, holding a series of raffles and bake sales. But Dave gave me real direction.". 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). [7], She is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. She holds five gold medals, for the 500-meter and 1,000-meter events, as well as a bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. [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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair, "Bonnie Blair 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. To celebrate, she climbed into the stands, still wearing her skates, to hug her family and friends. 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. "To mettle the medal." No longer a relative unknown, Blair was considered a favorite when she headed to the 1992 Winter Olympics held in Albertville, France. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. [2][4] She completed her high school diploma through the mail in 1982. 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. 23 Feb. 2023