Washington Post (January 2, 1992): D3. 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. 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. Johnson, Anne Janette. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, Petruso, A. "Glory and gloom." She became the first American woman to win five gold Olympic medals and the first American Winter Olympian to win six career medals. Born December 29, 1911, in Hopkins County, KY, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Monroe Dockery and Thurman Fox Dockery. (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. But Blair is going out on top." Blair later ran on her high school track team, where, she later claimed, she did not stand out among her peers. "Blair, Bonnie Compare DNA and explore genealogy for Bonnie (Blair) Roos born 1940s including ancestors + children + DNA connections + more in the free family tree community. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. [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. Before American speed skaters Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair raced to fame as Olympic champions, Soviet sp, Ashford, Evelyn New York Times (January 16, 2002): D7. [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. . [36], The 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, were another success for Blair: She again won gold in the 500 meters (39.25) and 1,000 meters (1:18.74)[35] races. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. . Many athletes wait too long, until their skills have begun to melt and slide like snow from a roof. She has been inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. 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 . New York Times (February 11, 1992): B11. Place of Burial: Paintsville, Johnson, Kentucky, United States. The coaching switch took place ten months before the 1992 Olympics. 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. [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. Petruso, A. "To mettle the medal." And, as she told Barbara Matson in the Boston Globe, "Crossing that [finish] line was the happiest moment of my life.". team. [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. Blair began to succeed on the international speed skating stage. 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. To win the 500-meter event, Blair beat Chinese skater Ye Qiaobo by 18 hundredths of a second. ." Her stellar performance at the 1992 Olympics also earned Blair the Sullivan Award as the Best Amateur Athlete in the United States. [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. Bonnie Blair Sports, Goal, Physical Attraction 15 Copy quote Four key words--helped make my dreams come true. Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. She won a number of races as a child, including the Illinois state championship when she was seven. After a decade in the broadcast booth working as a commentator for the Olympics for the CBC and CTV, Priestner later became associated with the Olympics as a member of the organizing committee for the Calgary games in 1988, Salt Lake City in 2002, and Turin, Italy in 2006. [28] At the event, Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory. [5]:45 Blair also began to pick-up more endorsements, including sports marketing group Advantage International. (She finished fourth in the 1500 meter race.) 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. The placement was due in part to the strategy of her coach, Peter Mueller; Mueller told Blair he would give her a signal to coast if he felt she was not on pace for a podium finish, allowing her to conserve energy. [29] After placing fourth at U.S. Nationals and missing the opportunity to compete at the World Championships, Blair opted to give up competitive cycling and focus solely on speed skating. 5-time Olympic gold medalist speedskater Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is still hitting the ice at 57-years-old. Blair's athletic achievements, combined with her friendly, down-to-earth manner, earned her recognition from journalists as an "All-American girl." [4] At age 15, Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt. She was raised in Illinois, but she moved to Milwaukee to further her speed-skating career. Speed skater who won Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992, and 1994. At the 1985 National Sports Festival, Blair swept the gold medals in all four women's short-track skating races, and won another gold as a member of a men's 5,000-meter relay team. Overall, Blair won 4 of 18 women's medals at the 1987 World Cup; East German skaters, including Rothenburger, won 13. 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. Chambers, 1997. Four of her siblings would hold speedskating titles. [44], In 1992, Blair became the third winter athlete to win the Sullivan Award. It was the first time a woman had won two Olympic gold medals for the 500-meter event in two successive Winter Olympics. She entered her first competition at age four and won her first race at age seven. No matter what the competition is, I try to find a goal that day and better that goal. [39][8] There, Blair won the 500 meters with a time of 39.54 seconds. Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. [37] Blair's success at Lillehammer placed her among the most decorate American Olympians of all time. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." ." Wife of William Edgar Blair. So far, this channel has garnered over 758.4 million views and more than 1.35 million subscribers. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. She has five siblings. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Newsday (February 6, 1994): 16. Sports Illustrated named Blair their Sportswoman of the Year for 1994. Despite unfavorable weather conditions at the outdoor rink, Blair won the 500-meter race. In 1992, Blair received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. She was considered the best American hope for a medal, and did not disappoint. Her father, a bricklayer, died in 1914, and Emma Parker moved the family to "Cement City" in West Dallas to live closer to . At her peak, she considered the fastest woman in the world in speed skating. She achieved personal bests in all four of her events and recorded the fastest time of any junior in three of them. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, "Blair, Bonnie This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bonnie-Blair, Bonnie Blair - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [7][9], Blair made her international competitive debut at the 1984 World Sprinting Championships where she placed tenth. Shortly after Blair's birth, her family moved to Champaign, Illinois. American speed skater Bonnie Blairwas born on the 18 March 1953in Cornwall, New Yorkto Eleanor and Charlie Blair. New York Times (February 19, 1995): section 8, p. 1. Bonnie Blair, 68 passed away unexpectedly at her home on Thursday Oct 24,2019. Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. Encyclopedia.com. Blair's only disappointment was finishing 21st in the 1500 meter race. Blair lives in Delafield, Wisconsin, with her husband and their son Grant and daughter Blair. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. Though Blair trained for the Olympics like they were any other meet, she dominated the trials in the 500, 1000, and 1500 meter races. [2] The family moved to Champaign, Illinois when Bonnie was a toddler. Also at the 1988 Olympics, Blair won the bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. places to practice were in Europe. Blair also continued to improve her already great technique. "Bonnie Blair Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. Cruikshank had skated in four Olympics by 1998, and he narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. team for the 2002 Olympics. In 1985, Blair won the North American indoor speed skating championship, and in 1986, she again won the U.S. indoor title. The results were impressive. Blair also won gold in the 1000 meter race. 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. [23], Blair went on to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, where her first event was the 500 meters. By the time she was in grade school, speed skating had become her number-one leisure activity. Phillips, Angus. . Training remained her focus, however. Blair first donned skates at the age of two, and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. [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. Her unprecedented Olympic success began at the 1988 Calgary Games. Imperial Oil Web Site. At the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Blair again won both the 500- and 1,000-meter races. [8] Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree. "Blades of gold." Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair. [32] Blair won her second gold of the 1992 Olympics in the 1,000 meters (1:21.90). She went on to ISU to get her degree in criminal justice. 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. By the time she was four years old, Blair was racing, and she loved it, competing against her older brothers and sisters and others in elementary and junior high school. ABC-CLIO, 1996. . Atlanta Journal and Constitution, February 9, 1998. Their names are Jeff and Bonnie.. How many siblings does. 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. She was the youngest of six children, all of whom learned to skate at an early age. bonnie blair siblings. [3] To finance the expense of training in Europe, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association began sponsoring some of Blair. Bonnie Blair C Retweeted. She was an exceptionally consistent skater, able to maintain an accentuated crouch and a smooth rhythm in her strides throughout a race, while other skaters typically lost time to momentary lapses in their technique. "Bonnie Blair," Infoplease.com, http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0109013.html (March 10, 2003). In Champaign, I'd miss a workout or two. [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. [50] Blair and Cruikshank have two children: a son, Grant, and daughter, Blair. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. She died on 13 May 1977, in Lima, Allen, Ohio, United States, at the age of 49, and was buried in Wells Mill, Floyd, Kentucky, United States. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. [39] On March 18, 1995, she retired. Siblings. They are: dedication, balance, risk, and love. It's fun to set goals, reach goals, reset goals. Explore Bonnie Blair Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Husband, Family relation. Realizing the risk involved in cycling, Blair soon gave up the sport and returned her focus to speed skating. [30] Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Blair regained her competitive edge. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. The, Parra, Derek: 1970: Athlete ", Blair competed as a speed skater one more season following her last Olympic win. Blair made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the 500-meter event at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. An excellent student, she was allowed to graduate halfway through her senior year to focus on her training. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. Blair continued to have success on the international level, though she also challenged herself to find ways to win. She was a member of four U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Teams, winner of five Olympic gold medals between 1988 and 1994 . Sports Illustrated (February 7, 1994): 90. Wolff, Alexander. [46] In 2004, she was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. 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. [11] Her time was only 0.02 seconds faster than Ye. "The last lap." Before Priestner, Blair only competed in short-track, pack-style racing. And as far as skating goes, she's got a lot of class.". Also, Jack Sikma, a She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Encyclopedia.com. Parrish, Paula. Christensen, Karen, et al., eds. 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 again won the world sprint title in 1994, also winning the World Cup 500- and 1,000-metre races that year. Priestner profoundly affected Blair's direction as a speed skater. (February 23, 2023). http://www.imperialoil.ca/thisis/publications/review/2001q4 (January 5, 2003). 1994); Steve Rushin, "Child of Innocence: Bonnie Blair Grew up with the Ideal That CompetingNot Just WinningIs Everything," Sports Illustrated (19 Dec. 1994); and Steve Rushin, "The Last Lap: After Racing to Another World Title, Bonnie Blair Leaves the U.S. Bonnie Kathleen Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in the Hudson River town of Cornwall, New York, and grew up in Champaign, Illinois. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. During this last season, she shattered her world record time for the 500-meter sprint twice. [27] Holding Blair back from more advertisements was both her choice of sports, which was thought to be less marketable, and ABC's coverage of the games, which failed to resonate with viewers. [10] Later that year, Blair appeared at her first Olympic games at age 19 in Sarajevo.
Jimmy Lloyd Child Actor,
Alex Lifeson Hentor Sportscaster,
John Potter Florida Obituary 2021,
Mercedes Isd Superintendent,
Articles B