bonnie blair siblings bonnie blair siblings

Blairs greatest success came at the Olympics, though she started slowly. [3] To finance the expense of training in Europe, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association began sponsoring some of Blair. Blair began to succeed on the international speed skating stage. [17], During this time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track. . https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, "Blair, Bonnie 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. Blair won two gold medals in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and her final two Olympic gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Blair was the youngest of six children of Charlie, a civil engineer, and Eleanor Blair, a homemaker. 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. 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. So far, this channel has garnered over 758.4 million views and more than 1.35 million subscribers. and its Licensors 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 was born March 18, 1964. [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. 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. She soon regained her form and confidence, winning dozens of 500- and 1,000-meter races leading up to the 1992 Olympics. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. [34] At the 1994, U.S. Olympic long-track trials at the Pettit National Ice Center, Blair set track records in the first round of the 500 meter and 1,000 meter trails. "Olympic Profile: Bonnie Blair; A Life of Skating Leads to Calgary." Charlie had dreamed of Bonnie becoming an Olympic speed skater. 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. Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. 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. Thus, the next Winter Games would be held in February 1994. She lived up to the hype by winning a gold medal in the 500 meters and a bronze in the 1000 meters. Training remained her focus, however. ." The year following her return from Europe, she won the 1983 U.S. indoor speed skating championship, a title she won again in 1984. American Stock/Getty Images. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 9.04M subscribers Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe Highlights as Bonnie Blair takes part in her third Olympic Games. In the summer of 1991 Blair resumed full-time training back in Milwaukee under her new coach, Peter Mueller. [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. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 56 years old? Great Women in Sports. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. The Olympic style favored Blair's small stature and emphasis on technique. 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. http://www.imperialoil.ca/thisis/publications/review/2001q4 (January 5, 2003). Blair won events at 1984, 1985 and 1986 short-track world championships and was the 1986 overall short-track world champion. Blair dedicated her gold medal to her father, Charlie, who had died from lung cancer two years earlier. (She finished fourth in the 1500 meter race.) Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie. With family members and dozens of friends, teammates, and fans cheering her on, Blair made her best start ever and zipped through the course in 39.1 seconds, setting a new world record and winning the gold medal. Olympic speed skating competitions were conducted differently. 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 finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, and in her Olympic career won five gold medals and one bronze medal. She also managed the oval built for the Calgary games after the Oympics ended for a number of years. A short biography of Blair is Cathy Breitenbucher, Bonnie Blair: Golden Streak (1994). ." The experience strengthened her determination to become an Olympian. Blair's European trip had the desired effect, sharpening her skills for more competition. Toronto Star, January 11, 1995; March 19, 1995. She entered the Winter Games in Albertville, France, as the favorite in both events. 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. Siblings. Bonnie Blair was born in Cornwall, NY on March 18, 1964. At the beginning of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Blair again took the spotlight when she became the last torchbearer on the Wisconsin segment of the Olympic torch run in January. Who are Scott disick parents? Sports Illustrated (February 7, 1994): 90. [12][13] She failed to medal and finished eighth in the 500 meters. "A Bonnie blare." Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. Cycling became part of Blair's speed skating training as both sports utilized the same muscle groups. Best. Their names are Jeff and Bonnie.. How many siblings does. Looney, Douglas S. "Sprinting to Calgary." She lived in Whitesburg, Letcher, Kentucky, United States for about 10 . Heather McCabe in the Houston Chronicle. With her gold medals and winning personality to match, Blair captured the imagination of the American public, becoming a media darling and a favorite among fans. 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. Notable Sports Figures. [8] Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree. Blair was forced to rely on superior technique and a ferocious will to win because of her physical limitations. Blair wanted to continue to train for the 1984 Olympics and beyond, but had problems getting funding for her training. [3] She participated in her first skating meet at age 4. In December, Blair Cruikshank competed at the USA Speedskating Long Track National Championships in Utah. ABC-CLIO, 1996. After this, at the age of 31, she felt she was ready to retire from competitive skating. Sports Illustrated (March 7, 1988): 50. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. "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." (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. She hired a different coach, Nick Thometz, who emphasized something different for Blair: explosive drills over strength and distance training. They settled in Milwaukee, where Blair has spent much of her time on the Bonnie Blair Charitable Gift Fund and as a celebrity representative for Olympic sponsors. Blair would in later years recall that first Olympic gold medal victory as the high point of her career. She won five gold medals and one bronze over her career. She became the first American woman to win five gold Olympic medals and the first American Winter Olympian to win six career medals. [32], Her success in the 1992 Olympics led to more attention for Blair. At fifteen, Blair was named to the U.S. speed skating team. To celebrate, she climbed into the stands, still wearing her skates, to hug her family and friends. Blair made her Olympic debut in Sarajevo in 1984 where she finished eighth in the 500 meters. She dominated the 500-meter and 1,000-meter women's events at three consecutive Olympic Games during her career. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures, Skoblikova, Lydia [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. 1. [20] Blair continued on to the 1995 World Championships in her adopted home town of Milwaukee. She contracted a severe case of bronchitis that affected her breathing. 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. She surpassed her 1988 Olympic performance, taking home the gold medal not only in the 500-meter event, but in the 1,000-meter race as well. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." [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. [5]:45, Back in 1986, the International Olympic Committee voted to stage the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics in alternating four year cycles. "Bonnie Blue (now Bonnie Vaughn) lived across the street . Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York, USA. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. "Blair, Bonnie Bonnie Blair, 68 passed away unexpectedly at her home on Thursday Oct 24,2019. 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. 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. Her hard work paid off when in 1985, she won the U.S. sprint championship. [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. It's just you.". 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. Bonnie Blair was born on 18 March, 1964 in Cornwall, New York, United States, is an American speed skater. Brand, David. Ten years later, however, doctors were able to remove about half of the tumor, giving Blair and her family hope for a cure. Blair later credited her husband's continuing involvement in the sport with helping her to make the transition from competition to civilian life. Bonnie Hoellein - Net Worth 2023. 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. During this last season, she shattered her world record time for the 500-meter sprint twice. Witteman, Paul A. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. She was the first Canadian woman to win a medal in speed skating. seventeenth century), https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/blairbon.shtml, http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0109013.html, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, Begins competing as member of national speed skating team, Competes at the Olympic trials, but does not make team, Wins Olympic gold and bronze at Winter Olympic Games, Wins two Olympic golds at Winter Olympic Games, Retires from competitive speed skating; becomes motivational speaker, Marries speed skater Dave Cruikshank on June 23, Won Illinois state championship in speed skating for age group, Won gold medal in Olympics speed skating in 500 meters, Won gold medals in 500 meter and 1000 meter at Olympics in speed skating, Won gold in 500 meters at World Championships, Won gold medals in 500 meters and 1000 meters at Winter Olympic Games in speed skating; won gold in 500 meters and 1000 at World Sprint Championships and World Cup; named Babe Zaharis Female Amateur Athlete of the Year; named Sportswoman of the Year by Women's Sports Foundation, Set 500 meters speed skating world record at Calgary; retired in March as speed skater; named Sportswoman of the Year by Women's Sports Foundation; won world sprint championship, Given Sports Humanitarian Award, World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. Bonnie Parker, outlaw partner of Clyde Barrow, was born at Rowena, Texas, on October 1, 1910, to Henry and Emma Parker. She received 5 gold medals and one bronze over her profession. Blair's last year as a competitive speed skater was 1995. 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. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair received more honors and product endorsement offers. 23 Feb. 2023 . Cruikshank's mother is five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair and her dad is four-time Olympian Dave Cruikshank. She was the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history when she retired in 1995. Noden, Merrell. [5]:44, The 1990-1991 season had setbacks for Blair. Four of her siblings would hold speedskating titles. [28] At the event, Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory. From early in her career, Blair's father was convinced that she would win Olympic Gold. 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. American speed skater Bonnie Blairwas born on the 18 March 1953in Cornwall, New Yorkto Eleanor and Charlie Blair. In 1986 the International Olympic Committee decided to alternate the Summer and Winter Games every two years, moving the 1996 Winter Games to 1994. In fact, Charlie Blair had his children at a competition while his youngest child was being born. (February 23, 2023). Imperial Oil Web Site. [45] She also was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994. She knows just a thing or two about U.S. speed skating and the rise of women's sports. No longer a relative unknown, Blair was considered a favorite when she headed to the 1992 Winter Olympics held in Albertville, France. Wolff, Alexander. [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. Petruso, A. [28] She skipped the first two World Cup events of the 1989 season. Rushin, Steve. [31], In her second event, the 1,500 meters, Blair finished 21st. In 1986, Blair set her first world's record in the 500 meters. Bonnie Parker was born on October 1, 1910. . Sports Illustrated (February 24, 1992): 18. Cruikshank had skated in four Olympics by 1998, and he narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. team for the 2002 Olympics. Myrtle was born on July 26 1899, in Manassa, Conejos, Colorado, United States. Occupation Singer Family Father - David Glyndwr Hopkins Mother - Elsie Hopkins [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. So, the police department in Champaign stepped in to raise money for her trip, holding a series of raffles and bake sales. She won gold at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. Cloud State Men's Hockey @SCSUHuskies_MH . In 2021, Blair spoke out in opposition to allowing male-to-female transgender athletes to participate in organized athletics.[54]. Omissions? Her 1.38 second margin in the 1,000 meters race is the largest margin of victory in the history of the event. 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. At the time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating. All Rights Reserved She also won two gold medals at the '92 . Because an indoor training oval, Pettit National Ice Center, opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Blair moved there from Champaign. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. She has been married to Dave Cruikshank since June 23, 1996. View the profiles of people named Bonnie Blair. She was named as the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and the USOC Sportswoman of the Year. Sports Illustrated (January 27, 1988): 236. Join Facebook to connect with Bonnie Blair and others you may know. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Serendipitously, Milwaukee opened a new indoor skating rink in 1992, allowing her to train there all year. This victory was bittersweet for Blair, since she knew it was to be the last Olympics in which she would compete. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. Washington Post (January 2, 1992): D3. Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Blair. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Although Ye claimed the crossover cost her the gold, the referee's rejected China's protest. She went to work coaching the U.S. women's speed skating team, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brownlee, Shannon. Cazeneuve, Brian. Matson, Barbara. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. 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 was 16 years old when she began Olympic-style racing, which pits only two racers against each other in a competition based on time. Jenkins, Sally. All these elder siblings became a canopy of extra moms and dads under which Bonnie grew up. After retiring from speed skating, Blair became a motivational speaker. In Olympic style, skaters skated in pairs against the clock. Bonnie Blair. [20] Blair also proved she could beat East-German world champion Karin Enke-Kania in head-to-head match-ups. Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a retired American speed skater. [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. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. New York Times (February 11, 1992): B11. [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. New York Times (February 9, 1987): 166. She did not medal, but finished eighth in the 500-meter race. She counts herself lucky in being able to maintain such an active retirement, noting that not all Olympic gold medalists have been as fortunate. [1] The U.S. failed to win any speed skating medals at the 1984 Olympics. She again won the world sprint title in 1994, also winning the World Cup 500- and 1,000-metre races that year. Realizing the risk involved in cycling, Blair soon gave up the sport and returned her focus to speed skating. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. Blair's introduction to competitive skating was as a pack racer on short tracks where she competed against many people in one race. [2][25] For her second event of the games, Blair had a personal best and briefly set an Olympic record in the 1,000 meters. Still Blair changed her training a bit. Winning doesn't always mean being first. Her unprecedented Olympic success began at the 1988 Calgary Games. She was grateful for all of her successes, however, and for all the wonderful memories they gave her. She won the first American gold of the games when she won the 500 meter race. Blair knew how to win and took advantage of it. For Blair, a skater in the prime of her career, the new schedule was an opportunity to try again for Olympic gold. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie, Petruso, A. team. She also was a cheerleader and on student council. Mother of bonnie Fay wiszniewski; Private and Private. Bonnie Blair of Champaign, IL, races in the women's 500 meter speed skating event at Hamar Olympic Hall in Hamar, Norway, Saturday, February 19, 1994. [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. 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. She used a low crouch and had a solid stroke. By those 10 1/2 inches, 23-year-old Bonnie Blair did what Mary Lou Retton didn't have the chance to do in gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles: defeat the world's best. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. 1. When training in Milwaukee, she enrolled at Parkland College but did not graduate. Search instead in Creative? Father's influence Anthony Charles Lynton Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 6, 1953. Discover Bonnie Blair's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Blair was touched by the adulations of the crowd, saying that she had never heard any group of spectators cheer so hard for her. [34][35] At the 1993 World Sprint Championships, Blair did not win any of her four races finishing behind rival Ye Qiabo. 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. "Yanks on the move." [2][3] To end the games, Blair was chosen to carry the American flag at the closing ceremonies. Blair was also the first American speed skater to win in more than one Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994). 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. Noden, Merrell. 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 . "Blair, Bonnie Denver Rocky Mountain News (February 15, 2002): 23S. 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. 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. She made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. Despite unfavorable weather conditions at the outdoor rink, Blair won the 500-meter race. Blair would also hold a number of world's and American records over the course of her speed skating career. Dec 6, 2013. Johnson, Anne Janette. As Blair approached the final 400 meters, Mueller gave the signal. In 1982, when Blair was 18 years old, her trainers wanted to take her to Europe to compete outside of the United States for the first time. She entered her first competition at age four and won her first race at age seven. bonnie blair siblingsmeadowglen lane apartments. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. "Retiring at Top Speed." Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. [7] Blair topped her own World Record the following year, achieving a time of 38.69 on February 12, 1995 in Calgary. Her final, record-breaking time for the 500-meter sprint was 38.99 seconds. Also at the 1988 Olympics, Blair won the bronze medal for the 1,000-meter event. Washington Post (February 11, 1994): H5. As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. American track and field athlete The victories led to more endorsements, and even more important to Blair, the popularity of speed skating. Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. Speed skating. Her life has been a furious blur of flashing blades,. It's fun to set goals, reach goals, reset goals. How many siblings does Bonnie Blair have? She was only 5'5" and 125-130 lbs. Priestner had been a speed skater since her teen years, winning a national championship within a year of taking up the sport. Her stellar performance at the 1992 Olympics also earned Blair the Sullivan Award as the Best Amateur Athlete in the United States. 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). When was Bonnie Parker born? She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Priestner had Blair train in the Olympic style on both short and long-track races. 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 Before Priestner, Blair only competed in short-track, pack-style racing. Blair also continued to improve her already great technique. . 1958- She was a member of four U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Teams, winner of five Olympic gold medals between 1988 and 1994 . [37] By 1994, Blair's hometown of Champaign had renamed one of its streets Bonnie Blair Drive. The following summer Blair moved to Butte, Montana, where she enrolled at the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology. As Jere Longman wrote in the New York Times, "Blair has no mountains to climb. Place of Burial: Paintsville, Johnson, Kentucky, United States. login . [51][52] Grant Cruikshank played hockey at Colorado College and as of 2021 for the University of Minnesota. And as far as skating goes, she's got a lot of class.". [43] As of 2018, Blair serves on the board of the Pettit National Ice Center. 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.