Sports Illustrated (February 17, 1992): 38. 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. Blair continued competing through 1995 when the World Championships were held in Milwaukee, finally retiring in March 1995. As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. No matter what the competition is, I try to find a goal that day and better that goal. Alice Blair, 86, of Tioga, an accounts processor for the Aramark Co. and a caregiver to her older siblings and neighbors, died in her sleep Dec. 17, of complications from dementia at Caring Heart Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Germantown. 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. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. When Bonnie Blair was born on 9 August 1914, in Letcher, Kentucky, United States, her father, William Blair, was 31 and her mother, Delia Pratt, was 35. Blair also won the World Cup points championship 11 times. Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. Blair would in later years recall that first Olympic gold medal victory as the high point of her career. Bonnie Kathleen Blair Share Memory. "Yanks on the move." Encyclopedia of World Biography. In the summer of 1991 Blair resumed full-time training back in Milwaukee under her new coach, Peter Mueller. 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. [34][35] At the 1993 World Sprint Championships, Blair did not win any of her four races finishing behind rival Ye Qiabo. The second-place finisher, Ye Qiaobo of China, claimed to have been slowed down by an improper crossover from another skater. She also was a cheerleader and on student council. As Blair approached the final 400 meters, Mueller gave the signal. [45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. Facing a Big Chill in Her Sport," Sports Illustrated (27 Feb. 1995). 12. Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. 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. Serendipitously, Milwaukee opened a new indoor skating rink in 1992, allowing her to train there all year. Priestner had been a speed skater since her teen years, winning a national championship within a year of taking up the sport. Blair has also become an accomplished motivational speaker, addressing audiences on such topics as "Achieving Your Personal Best." She was born to Wayne and Delma (Guenzler) Blair on June 9 th 1951. "A Bonnie blare." 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. Her unprecedented Olympic success began at the 1988 Calgary Games. [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. [20] Blair also proved she could beat East-German world champion Karin Enke-Kania in head-to-head match-ups. That is, races that were conducted with a number of skaters competing against each other in a pack. To become an Olympic champion, Blair needed further training as well as racing experience on the long track. I'm definitely going to miss hearing the sound of that gun. Blair, under the weather with a cough and cold, finished second in the event. This victory was bittersweet for Blair, since she knew it was to be the last Olympics in which she would compete. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." Petruso, A. Denver Rocky Mountain News (February 15, 2002): 23S. 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. Noden, Merrell. "To mettle the medal." Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. She knows just a thing or two about U.S. speed skating and the rise of women's sports. In 1987, she won the World Cup in both the 500 and 1000 meter races. Sporting News (February 14, 1994): S15. It was another first for a female athleteno other woman had ever won five Olympic gold medals for individual events. [26] At her post race press conference, Blair confirmed Lillehammer would be her last Olympic games.[38]. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. 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. [5]:45, Back in 1986, the International Olympic Committee voted to stage the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics in alternating four year cycles. She also began serving on the board for U.S. [42] As of 2002, Blair served on U.S. Speedskating's board of directors. She was raised in Illinois, but she moved to Milwaukee to further her speed-skating career. [23], Blair went on to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, where her first event was the 500 meters. New York Times (February 9, 1987): 166. She also took these titles in 1995. Fundraising was spearheaded by the Champaign police force in 1982, and Blair received support from such disparate sources as one of her brother's college fraternity brothers, professional basketball player Jack Silma who played with the Milwaukee Bucks. Sports Illustrated (February 27, 1995): 52. She and Apolo Anton Ohno are both world-famous speed skaters. Facebook gives people the power to. Bonnie Blair, 92, of Dawson Springs, KY, died Friday, January 9, 2004, at 7:13 A.M., at her residence. Bonnie Blair Sports, Goal, Physical Attraction 15 Copy quote Four key words--helped make my dreams come true. Christensen, Karen, et al., eds. Blair dedicated her gold medal to her father, Charlie, who had died from lung cancer two years earlier. . 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. Blair's success came despite the fact that she was smaller and lighter than an average female speed skater. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. Blair also continued to improve her already great technique. [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. "Glory and gloom." She was grateful for all of her successes, however, and for all the wonderful memories they gave her. 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. Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) was one of the greatest distance runners of all time. A year later she twice set a world record for the 500-metre event on the standard circuit. She first gained acclaim by winning the world short-track title in 1986 at Chamonix, France. Speed skater who received Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992, and 1994. ." Heather McCabe in the Houston Chronicle. She was the youngest of six children, all of whom learned to skate at an early age. . At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), she could finish no better than eighth in the 500-metre event. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. She went to work coaching the U.S. women's speed skating team, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Atlanta Journal and Constitution, February 9, 1998. She would win this championship every year through 1994. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. She soon regained her form and confidence, winning dozens of 500- and 1,000-meter races leading up to the 1992 Olympics. Blair wanted to continue to train for the 1984 Olympics and beyond, but had problems getting funding for her training. Speed skater who won Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992, and 1994. 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. In 1989, she won the World Sprint Championships, though she did not train as hard as she had for the Olympics. She has been married to Dave Cruikshank since June 23, 1996. Dec 6, 2013. "The last lap." World class track-and-field athlete Sports Illustrated named Blair their Sportswoman of the Year for 1994. Since her retirement from competition in 1995 at the age of 31, she has turned her stellar Olympic performances into a successful career as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. Russian speed skater They are: dedication, balance, risk, and love. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. 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. [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. Then she went out and bettered Rothenburger's time by two hundredths of a second to win her first gold medal. ." Bonnie Blair C Retweeted. An excellent student, she was allowed to graduate halfway through her senior year to focus on her training. "Blair has not Slowed Down: Family is her Life, Not Speed skating." 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. [48][49], Blair began dating fellow Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank in 1990. "History (Never) Lessens: Bonnie Blair was textbook good, and her legacy still is quoted chapter and verse." "Blair, Bonnie "Retiring at Top Speed." [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. The . 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 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. ." Copyright 2023 Web Solutions LLC. She achieved personal bests in all four of her events and recorded the fastest time of any junior in three of them. 433 Bonnie Blair Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 433 bonnie blair stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Janofsky, Michael. Williams, Lena. Blair would also hold a number of world's and American records over the course of her speed skating career. She was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Blair dedicated her successes in Albertville to the memory of her father, who had died on Christmas Day 1989. [19] Although Blair was four inches shorter than Enke-Kania, Blair's technique and fast start time made her a formidable competitor. Blair's only disappointment was finishing 21st in the 1500 meter race. Sports Illustrated (January 15, 1990): 92. She did some television commentary for speed skating. Blair, whose stage and screen career spanned eight decades, died early on Thursday morning. [5]:44 The breathing problem lingered through the 1991 World Sprint Championships where she finished fifth. Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is, Moses, Edwin 1955 She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair remained a popular figure in Champaign for many years, and was even given the key to the city. http://www.imperialoil.ca/thisis/publications/review/2001q4 (January 5, 2003). Blair herself was introduced to the sport when she was just two years old. New York Times (February 11, 1992): B11. How many siblings did bonnie Parker have? Photos and Memories (0) Do you know Bonnie? She hired a different coach, Nick Thometz, who emphasized something different for Blair: explosive drills over strength and distance training. [4] At age 15, Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt. 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. 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. 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. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. Retton's all . And, as she told Barbara Matson in the Boston Globe, "Crossing that [finish] line was the happiest moment of my life.". "People on the outside are like, 'Your mom is Bonnie Blair!' " Cruikshank said. Chambers Biographical Dictionary. New York Times (January 16, 2002): D7. [32] Blair's gold made her the most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympics of all time. [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. 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. On 23 June 1996 she married Dave Cruikshank, a fellow speed skater on the U.S. Olympic [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. Bonnie died wearing a wedding ringbut it wasn't Clyde's. Six days before turning 16, Bonnie married high school classmate Roy Thornton. The trials were a breeze for her. She won gold at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. People Photos Purpose. She went on to ISU to get her degree in criminal justice. Bonnie Blair. 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. In addition, Blair was active in charity work and continued to do some commercial endorsements for companies like General Mills products at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. While Blair focused on speed skating, she also competed in other sports and activities. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? (February 23, 2023). Born in Philadelphia, she was the youngest of six children. Encyclopedia of World Biography. And as far as skating goes, she's got a lot of class.". Blair later ran on her high school track team, where, she later claimed, she did not stand out among her peers. The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. 1957- Ye Qiaobo was expected to challenge Bonnie Blair in Calgary's 1988 Olympic . Now a world-class speed skater, Blair went on to set a world speed skating record in 1987, racing 500 meters in 39.43 seconds. Encyclopedia.com. Phillips, Angus. She ran wherever her coach decided he was missing a bodyon the long jump, high jump, short distances, and relays. [3] To finance the expense of training in Europe, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association began sponsoring some of Blair. [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. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. [8] Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree. For nearly a decade betw, Heiden, Eric Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. [44], In 1992, Blair became the third winter athlete to win the Sullivan Award. private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; [40][41] Blair became involved with Right to Play, When the Winter Olympics returned to the United States in 2002, Blair was one of the final torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah. Still Blair changed her training a bit. (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. Also, Jack Sikma, a Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater who was one of the leading competitors in the sport. Sports Illustrated (February 28, 1994): 18. Blair broke the 39-second mark by skating it in 38.13 seconds. 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 . 5 What actress portrayed. Notable Sports Figures. [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. . 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. She was the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history when she retired in 1995. Although Ye claimed the crossover cost her the gold, the referee's rejected China's protest. 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. Blair later credited her husband's continuing involvement in the sport with helping her to make the transition from competition to civilian life. Noden, Merrell. Leo was born on January 4 1898, in Bountiful, Davis, Utah, United States. Blair won the World Sprint Championships, then retired on March 18, 1995, after the competition held on her home ice in Milwaukee. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie. [1][3] Already a hobby for her siblings, Bonnie first tried skating at age two. Born December 29, 1911, in Hopkins County, KY, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Monroe Dockery and Thurman Fox Dockery. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair, "Bonnie Blair 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. She dominated the 500-meter and 1,000-meter women's events at three consecutive Olympic Games during her career. She lived up to the hype by winning a gold medal in the 500 meters and a bronze in the 1000 meters. 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. Thus, the next Winter Games would be held in February 1994. Blair's European trip had the desired effect, sharpening her skills for more competition. Also at the 1988 Olympics, Blair won the bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. She had an older brother, Hubert (Buster), and a younger sister, Billie. [11] Her time was only 0.02 seconds faster than Ye. 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. (She finished fourth in the 1500 meter race.) She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair's introduction to competitive skating was as a pack racer on short tracks where she competed against many people in one race. [53][44] Blair's daughter competed at the 2018 United States Olympic speed skating trials at the 500 meter distance, held at Pettit National Ice Center. "Bonnie the blue." It's fun to set goals, reach goals, reset goals. Sports Illustrated for Women, February 2002. Washington Post (February 11, 1994): H5. (February 23, 2023). Blair finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. As the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France, approached, Blair regained her focus on speed skating. [5]:44, The 1990-1991 season had setbacks for Blair. Speed skating. [2] Two of Blair's competitors, who skated after her, subsequently beat her time; thus Blair won the bronze in the 1,000 meters. "It was a nice ending.". She also won two gold medals at the '92 . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. Speed skater Eric Heiden won five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Blair continued to have success on the international level, though she also challenged herself to find ways to win. Winning doesn't always mean being first. "Bonnie's bounty." 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. [42] As of 2014, Blair worked as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. team. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. . Bonnie Elaine Lorenc (born Blair) was born on month day 1925, at birth place, Utah, to Leo Amos Blair and Myrtle Hannah Blair (born Christensen). (The International Olympic Committee wanted Summer and Winter Olympic Games to alternate every two years.) 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 ). Bonnie was something of an afterthought in the Blair family scheme, coming 21 years after Chuck, the Blairs' first child, and seven years after Angela, their fifth. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Search instead in Creative? By the time she was in grade school, speed skating had become her number-one leisure activity. She also set a world record for the 500-meter event in Heerenveen, Holland, at the end of the 1987 season. "Whooosh!." "Olympic Profile: Bonnie Blair; A Life of Skating Leads to Calgary." This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bonnie-Blair, Bonnie Blair - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). She was so small at the time that her parents could not find skates that fit her, so she had to wear shoes under her skates. From 1986 to 1988 at the World Sprint Championships, Blair finished second once and third twice. (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. "Child of innocence." [37] Blair's success at Lillehammer placed her among the most decorate American Olympians of all time. [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. 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.