"History (Never) Lessens: Bonnie Blair was textbook good, and her legacy still is quoted chapter and verse." "Olympic Profile: Bonnie Blair; A Life of Skating Leads to Calgary." Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. Blair continued to have success on the international level, though she also challenged herself to find ways to win. Notable Sports Figures. She also managed the oval built for the Calgary games after the Oympics ended for a number of years. [28] The win made Blair the first U.S. woman to win a world sprint championship in nearly a decade. [5]:45 Blair also began to pick-up more endorsements, including sports marketing group Advantage International. That's where Bonnie, born in Illinois, moved to train. "Blair, Bonnie [45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. Blair continued competing through 1995 when the World Championships were held in Milwaukee, finally retiring in March 1995. (February 23, 2023). When Blair was sixteen, she competed at her first Olympic trials for the 1980 Winter Olympics. [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. Witteman, Paul A. Her stellar performance at the 1992 Olympics also earned Blair the Sullivan Award as the Best Amateur Athlete in the United States. [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. [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. (February 23, 2023). (The International Olympic Committee wanted Summer and Winter Olympic Games to alternate every two years.) Moving on, she has a net worth of approximately $1.5 million dollars. 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 ). Ten years later, however, doctors were able to remove about half of the tumor, giving Blair and her family hope for a cure. She went to work coaching the U.S. women's speed skating team, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? Priestner had been a speed skater since her teen years, winning a national championship within a year of taking up the sport. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. Blair, under the weather with a cough and cold, finished second in the event. 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. Blair has also become an accomplished motivational speaker, addressing audiences on such topics as "Achieving Your Personal Best." Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1996. 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. ." 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. She received 5 gold medals and one bronze over her profession. 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. places to practice were in Europe. [39] On March 18, 1995, she retired. She achieved personal bests in all four of her events and recorded the fastest time of any junior in three of them. Although she was small for a speed skater, Blairs technique was nearly flawless. She also set a world record for the 500-meter event in Heerenveen, Holland, at the end of the 1987 season. "Bonnie's bounty." . The youngster was named for a close family friend, who was also a skater. Rushin, Steve. 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. (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. In both races, she was pushed by Ye Qiaobo of China who earned two silver medals. Bonnie Hoellein - Net Worth 2023. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. "Retiring at Top Speed." 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 For example, Blair finished fifth in the 1991 World Sprint Championships, though she was also suffering from bronchitis at the time. I just want to go fast. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. She also won two gold medals at the '92 . The . Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. 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. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. A year later she twice set a world record for the 500-metre event on the standard circuit. With the oval in Milwaukee closed in the off-season, the best Looney, Douglas S. "Sprinting to Calgary." She used a low crouch and had a solid stroke. "Repeat for Blair." [26], Despite her success at the 1988 Olympics, Blair did not enjoy a windfall from endorsements. . "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." Many athletes wait too long, until their skills have begun to melt and slide like snow from a roof. At her peak, she considered the fastest woman in the world in speed skating. Bonnie (Blair) Roos. Blair continued to serve on the board for U.S. She did some television commentary for speed skating. She was considered the best American hope for a medal, and did not disappoint. Siblings. American track and field athlete Scottish-born prime minister of Great Britain British politician and Prime Minister Tony Blair represented a new era in Parliament and made major changes to the Labour Party along the way. [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. 23 Feb. 2023 . How many siblings did bonnie Parker have? Russian speed skater [28] She skipped the first two World Cup events of the 1989 season. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. 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). And, as she told Barbara Matson in the Boston Globe, "Crossing that [finish] line was the happiest moment of my life.". She embarked on a whirlwind travel schedule in Europe, taking on the world's best. Four of her siblings would hold speedskating titles. "Bonnie Blair Blair's success came despite the fact that she was smaller and lighter than an average female speed skater. Blair was touched by the adulations of the crowd, saying that she had never heard any group of spectators cheer so hard for her. From 1986 to 1988 at the World Sprint Championships, Blair finished second once and third twice. Blair also won gold in the 1000 meter race. "I just thought it was the right time," she said of her retirement to Speed skating and also worked for the Olympic Committee. 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. "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." 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. A year later she captured her first World Short-Track Championship by winning three of the four events. [32], Her success in the 1992 Olympics led to more attention for Blair. The, Parra, Derek: 1970: Athlete The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. Cruikshank's mother is five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair and her dad is four-time Olympian Dave Cruikshank. She again won the world sprint title in 1994, also winning the World Cup 500- and 1,000-metre races that year. 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. Photos and Memories (0) Do you know Bonnie? [19] Blair held a world record at 500 meters until December 1987 when Christa Rothenburger beat her time at the World Cup. 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. Death: May 16, 1976 (47) Prestonsburg, floyd, Kentucky, United States. Wolff, Alexander. private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; Retton's all . Serendipitously, Milwaukee opened a new indoor skating rink in 1992, allowing her to train there all year. [32] Blair won her second gold of the 1992 Olympics in the 1,000 meters (1:21.90). Also in 1984, Blair competed at the Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Her father, a bricklayer, died in 1914, and Emma Parker moved the family to "Cement City" in West Dallas to live closer to . After this, at the age of 31, she felt she was ready to retire from competitive skating. Washington Post (February 11, 1994): H5. and its Licensors "Bonnie Blair is a 5-4 Colossus on Skates." Toronto Star, January 11, 1995; March 19, 1995. Though she did well at the meet, she did not make the team. [2] Blair's family friends in the stands, affectionately known as the "Blair Bunch," became a staple of her competitive career. 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. As a teenager Blair began to take the sport more seriously. As the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France, approached, Blair regained her focus on speed skating. "Skating first." All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. [44] [3] To finance the expense of training in Europe, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association began sponsoring some of Blair. To become an Olympic champion, Blair needed further training as well as racing experience on the long track. 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. She also represented Canada in speed skating in the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan. Then she went out and bettered Rothenburger's time by two hundredths of a second to win her first gold medal. "He's the hardest worker on the team," Blair later told Angus Phillips in the Washington Post, "and he got me into that, too. Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Cloud State Men's Hockey @SCSUHuskies_MH . 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. Still Blair changed her training a bit. She became the first American woman to win five gold Olympic medals and the first American Winter Olympian to win six career medals. ." They are: dedication, balance, risk, and love. Speed skater Eric Heiden won five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. . "Blair, Bonnie To celebrate, she climbed into the stands, still wearing her skates, to hug her family and friends. [28] Blair was back to competing later in the season and won the 1989 World Sprint Championships held in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Blair won the World Sprint Championships, then retired on March 18, 1995, after the competition held on her home ice in Milwaukee. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. [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. She is one of the top skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Immediate Family: Daughter of ALONZA LONNIE RATLIFF and MAUDE RATLIFF. [20] Blair also proved she could beat East-German world champion Karin Enke-Kania in head-to-head match-ups. ABC-CLIO, 1996. Priestner had Blair train in the Olympic style on both short and long-track races. She remained connected to speed skating by serving as a coach and conducting clinics. 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. "Child of innocence." This sensational run made Blair the top gold medalist at the festival. Priestner had been an Olympic medalist herself, winning silver when she represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1976. [42] As of 2014, Blair worked as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. She ran wherever her coach decided he was missing a bodyon the long jump, high jump, short distances, and relays. Bonnie Blair. [15] In May 1985, at a time when U.S. speed skating lacked unity, U.S. International Speedskating Association replaced national team coach Dianne Holum with Mike Crowe. 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. "Glory and gloom." [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. New York Times (February 19, 1995): section 8, p. 1. Winning doesn't always mean being first. At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), she could finish no better than eighth in the 500-metre event. team. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. That is, races that were conducted with a number of skaters competing against each other in a pack. Bonnie Blair C and 7 others. View the profiles of people named Bonnie Blair. Brownlee, Shannon. Her husband, Dave Cruikshank, was also a speed skater and she served as his technical consultant. 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 made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. Blair first donned skates at the age of two, and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. Best. Bonnie Blair Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. [8] Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree. [50] The pair married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1996. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." She was born to Wayne and Delma (Guenzler) Blair on June 9 th 1951. Though the race was not great, in part because the ice surface was too warm, the victory made Blair the first woman to win gold in consecutive Winter Olympic games. [32] Blair's gold made her the most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympics of all time. 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. [2][3] To end the games, Blair was chosen to carry the American flag at the closing ceremonies. Search instead in Creative? [2] Two of Blair's competitors, who skated after her, subsequently beat her time; thus Blair won the bronze in the 1,000 meters. "Blair, Bonnie [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. 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 . Encyclopedia of World Biography. Updates? Her hard work paid off when in 1985, she won the U.S. sprint championship. "Blades of gold." Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. Though she knew she was retiring, she left on top. Although Ye claimed the crossover cost her the gold, the referee's rejected China's protest. Boston Globe (January 9, 2002): F7. Bonnie Blair generally travels from Milwaukee, WI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances . She was a pupil at Jefferson Middle School and Centennial High School. Background Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, United States; the youngest of six children. After the Albertville games ended, Blair again took the opportunity created by her celebrity. Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is, Moses, Edwin 1955 [5]:44, Blair again competed at Olympics in 1992, this time held in Albertville, France. But Blair is going out on top." Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank's 21-year old daughter, Blair, has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be able to compete in this week's U.S. long track speedskating Olympic trials at the. 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 siblingsmeadowglen lane apartments. Bonnie Parker was born on October 1, 1910. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, "Blair, Bonnie Blair won the 1000 meter race by only .02 seconds. Blair told Brian Cazeneuve of The Sporting News, "I'm the one who puts pressure on myself. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. 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. [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. Bonnie graduated from Warren High School in 1969. After retiring from speed skating, Blair became a motivational speaker. I'm definitely going to miss hearing the sound of that gun. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires 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. Blair was also the first American speed skater to win in more than one Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994). Bonnie Blair. [3] Early on, Blair competed in "pack style," or short track speed skating, where several skaters race on the ice at once. From early in her career, Blair's father was convinced that she would win Olympic Gold. Leo was born on January 4 1898, in Bountiful, Davis, Utah, United States. She won gold at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. "The last lap." At the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Blair again won both the 500- and 1,000-meter races. Encyclopedia.com. 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. [15], A strong performance at the United States International Skating Association Metric All-Around Championships, held in West Allis, Wisconsin, earned Blair a spot on the U.S. long track women's sprint team for the 1985 World Championships. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair, "Bonnie Blair