Bonnie Blair Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous Birthdays By 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. They are: dedication, balance, risk, and love. Bonnie Tyler is currently 71 according to her birthdate June 08, 1951 Sun Sign Gemini Born Place Skewen, Neath, Wales Nationality Education Bonnie decided to quit school to focus on her music career. How many siblings did bonnie Parker have? A new record and a gold medal At the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, she watched as Christa Rothenburger broke the world record at 500m. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before. [4] At age 7, Blair won her age group at the Illinois Speed Skating Championship. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York, USA. Then she went out and bettered Rothenburger's time by two hundredths of a second to win her first gold medal.
Lionel Blair: Veteran TV presenter and dancer dies at 92 Bonnie Blair - Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Bio, Birthday, Wiki! Blair won the 1000 meter race by only .02 seconds. Bonnie Blairwas raised in Champaign, Illinois. On 23 June 1996 she married Dave Cruikshank, a fellow speed skater on the U.S. Olympic Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) was one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Blair won her fourth career gold medal with a .
What Happened To American Speed Skater Bonnie Blair? - Grunge.com Sports Illustrated (December 19, 1994): 72. [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. [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. She used a low crouch and had a solid stroke.
Alice Blair, an accounts processor and caregiver to siblings and Encyclopedia.com. "I'm like, 'She's my mom.' It's never really a thought, and I guess I won't ever really .
Bonnie Blair (born March 18, 1964), American speed skater, athlete 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. When the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, came around, Blair was again favored to win. A short biography of Blair is Cathy Breitenbucher, Bonnie Blair: Golden Streak (1994). 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 Bonnie Blair C Retweeted. 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. [4] At age 15, Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt. With the oval in Milwaukee closed in the off-season, the best She was the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history when she retired in 1995. To become an Olympic champion, Blair needed further training as well as racing experience on the long track. "Blair, Bonnie Family (1) Spouse Dave Cruikshank (23 June 1996 - present) (2 children) Trivia (4) Inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004. . As Jere Longman wrote in the New York Times, "Blair has no mountains to climb. Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. In 1989, she won the World Sprint Championships, though she did not train as hard as she had for the Olympics. Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. Sports Illustrated (February 27, 1995): 52. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speedskater. Blair made her Olympic debut in Sarajevo in 1984 where she finished eighth in the 500 meters. Bonnie Kathleen Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in the Hudson River town of Cornwall, New York, and grew up in Champaign, Illinois.
Bonnie's Bounty - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com In 2021, Blair spoke out in opposition to allowing male-to-female transgender athletes to participate in organized athletics.[54].
ABC Sports - Wide World of Sports - ESPN 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.
A Life Remembered: Eldest Blair sister introduced family to She was the youngest of six children, all of whom learned to skate at an early age. The following summer Blair moved to Butte, Montana, where she enrolled at the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, Petruso, A. The Blair Bunch was back even stronger at the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, with about 45 members swaying in unison in their purple team jackets and singing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." [23], Blair went on to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, where her first event was the 500 meters. [26] Blair again won gold in the 500 meters, becoming the first woman to win the event in back to back Olympics, with a time of 40.33 seconds. Barrow, who was 20, was a volatile ex-con and a wanted man who had vowed that he would . 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 second-place finisher, Ye Qiaobo of China, claimed to have been slowed down by an improper crossover from another skater. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. [32], Her success in the 1992 Olympics led to more attention for Blair. Russian speed skater Most of all, she told Karen Rosen in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution in 1998, "I'm really grateful for VCRs so I can go back and relive it. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair, "Bonnie Blair "Catching up with Bonnie Blair and Johann Olav Koss." . Blair has also been involved in the American Brain Tumor Association's efforts to combat this little-understood disease; in 1987, Blair's brother Rob was diagnosed with brain cancer that was deemed terminal. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. St. 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.
[45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. [3] To finance the expense of training in Europe, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association began sponsoring some of Blair. 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. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. [27] Blair also took a break from skating, enrolling in Montana Technological University. [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. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Noden, Merrell. [20] Blair continued on to the 1995 World Championships in her adopted home town of Milwaukee. She entered the Winter Games in Albertville, France, as the favorite in both events. Death: May 16, 1976 (47) Prestonsburg, floyd, Kentucky, United States. Wolff, Alexander. She has also made television commercials for such major corporations as McDonald's and AT&T. Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. Sports Illustrated named Blair their Sportswoman of the Year for 1994. Encyclopedia of World Biography. [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. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. "Bonnie the blue." From 1986 to 1988 at the World Sprint Championships, Blair finished second once and third twice. . Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater. . (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. During her gold medal-winning race, she also set a world's record with a time of 39.1 seconds. Newsday (February 6, 1994): 16. "Blair, Bonnie She was the youngest of six children. Despite unfavorable weather conditions at the outdoor rink, Blair won the 500-meter race. 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. [28] Blair was back to competing later in the season and won the 1989 World Sprint Championships held in Heerenveen, Netherlands. [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. She was a pupil at Jefferson Middle School and Centennial High School. Thus, the next Winter Games would be held in February 1994. She won the 1986 short-track world championship. Notable Sports Figures. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. [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. After this, at the age of 31, she felt she was ready to retire from competitive 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. Blair's athletic achievements, combined with her friendly, down-to-earth manner, earned her recognition from journalists as an "All-American girl." 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 . Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. Priestner had been a speed skater since her teen years, winning a national championship within a year of taking up the sport. 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.
Bonnie Blair (1914-1983) FamilySearch 47 No. [3] Early on, Blair competed in "pack style," or short track speed skating, where several skaters race on the ice at once. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. Although she was small for a speed skater, Blairs technique was nearly flawless. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair continued to compete. Blair would in later years recall that first Olympic gold medal victory as the high point of her career. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois.
Bonnie Blair - Net Worth 2022, Salary, Age, Siblings, Bio, Family, Career Blair won her first gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary, Canada. . [33] The attempt to compete at her fourth Olympics was not without its challenges; the 1993 season was lackluster for Blair. Ye Qiaobo was expected to challenge Bonnie Blair in Calgary's 1988 Olympic . 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. [5]:45 Blair also began to pick-up more endorsements, including sports marketing group Advantage International. So far, this channel has garnered over 758.4 million views and more than 1.35 million subscribers. She also won two gold medals at the '92 . In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Eugene Blair. In the summer of 1991 Blair resumed full-time training back in Milwaukee under her new coach, Peter Mueller. ." 23 Feb. 2023
. She also set a world record for the 500-meter event in Heerenveen, Holland, at the end of the 1987 season. [30] Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Blair regained her competitive edge. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. Bonnie Blair (1928-1977) FamilySearch After being born in Cornwall, N.Y., Blair moved with her family to the Midwest and was raised in Champaign, Ill. She took to speed skating like her older siblings. Priestner had been an Olympic medalist herself, winning silver when she represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1976. Sports Illustrated (March 7, 1994): 42. There she won two more gold medals, for both the 500-meter and the 1,000-meter races. "Blair Enjoys Being Olympic Spectator." . [43] As of 2018, Blair serves on the board of the Pettit National Ice Center. Bonnie Blair - Biography - IMDb Chambers, 1997. This victory was bittersweet for Blair, since she knew it was to be the last Olympics in which she would compete. I just want to go fast. That is, races that were conducted with a number of skaters competing against each other in a pack. All Information about Bonnie Blair - Radaris Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. [26], Despite her success at the 1988 Olympics, Blair did not enjoy a windfall from endorsements. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. She also won two gold medals at the '92 . Blair's introduction to competitive skating was as a pack racer on short tracks where she competed against many people in one race. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Sports Illustrated (December 6, 1987): section 2, p. 10. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank - The National Speedskating Museum It's fun to set goals, reach goals, reset goals. [5]:44 Confidence in coach Crowe had waned in the lead up to the 1988 Olympics, Blair helped to recruit Peter Mueller to coach the U.S. team. Bonnie Blair Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. "Blades of gold." They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Bonnie Elaine BlaIr (1925 - 2016) - Genealogy She agreed to go, but she lacked the backing to finance the trip. Great Women in Sports. Cruikshank had skated in four Olympics by 1998, and he narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. team for the 2002 Olympics. Blair made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the 500-meter event at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. (February 23, 2023). Blair dedicated her gold medal to her father, Charlie, who had died from lung cancer two years earlier. Bonnie Blair. The only real competition came internationally, but because of her lack of training in 1989-91, she did not have much success in races in 1990-91. ." Bonnie Blair - Wikipedia Blair said she quit because there was nothing left for her to prove. When training in Milwaukee, she enrolled at Parkland College but did not graduate. From early in her career, Blair's father was convinced that she would win Olympic Gold. Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank's daughter can't compete in speedskating trials 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 . Cycling became part of Blair's speed skating training as both sports utilized the same muscle groups. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Bonnie Blair Dream, Distance, Accomplishment 11 Copy quote I never could have achieved the success that I have without setting physical activity and health goals. (People jokingly said her job title was "Girl Friday," which is a reference to a character from Daniel Defoe's 18th century book Robinson Crusoe , because . During this last season, she shattered her world record time for the 500-meter sprint twice. Bonnie Hoellein - Net Worth 2023. [43] That same year she was a member of the U.S. Olympic delegation to Sochi. She remained connected to speed skating by serving as a coach and conducting clinics. 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. She did some television commentary for speed skating. When Blair was sixteen, she competed at her first Olympic trials for the 1980 Winter Olympics. Blair herself was introduced to the sport when she was just two years old. 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. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Blair's success came despite the fact that she was smaller and lighter than an average female speed skater. Blair finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters. 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. She won five gold medals and one bronze over her career. . 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. She lived in Whitesburg, Letcher, Kentucky, United States for about 10 . How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? Bonnie Blair | YourDictionary [7], She is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. 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. "Child of innocence." "Bonnie Blue (now Bonnie Vaughn) lived across the street .