Sports Illustrated (January 15, 1990): 92. Noden, Merrell. Immediate Family: Daughter of ALONZA LONNIE RATLIFF and MAUDE RATLIFF. Despite unfavorable weather conditions at the outdoor rink, Blair won the 500-meter race. When Blair returned to the United States, she increased the intensity of her training, including weight training, running, biking, and rollerblading in addition to skating. Bonnie Blair. All of Blair's two sisters and three brothers speed skated competitively because of their father. ." When was Bonnie Parker born? Blair was touched by the adulations of the crowd, saying that she had never heard any group of spectators cheer so hard for her. [2] Two of Blair's competitors, who skated after her, subsequently beat her time; thus Blair won the bronze in the 1,000 meters. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Blair returned to the Olympics in 1988 competing in long-track at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. "It was a nice ending.". 1. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? 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 Cruikshank is our local Olympic superstar: five time gold medalist, six medals overall. [39] On March 18, 1995, she retired. Parrish, Paula. 23 Feb. 2023 . New York Times (February 11, 1992): B11. Notable Sports Figures. Blair's introduction to competitive skating was as a pack racer on short tracks where she competed against many people in one race. She achieved personal bests in all four of her events and recorded the fastest time of any junior in three of them. Noden, Merrell. 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. Bonnie Blair C Retweeted. [20] Blair also proved she could beat East-German world champion Karin Enke-Kania in head-to-head match-ups. She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Petruso, A. Her father, a bricklayer, died in 1914, and Emma Parker moved the family to "Cement City" in West Dallas to live closer to . team. [34][35] At the 1993 World Sprint Championships, Blair did not win any of her four races finishing behind rival Ye Qiabo. Petruso, A. Ten years later, however, doctors were able to remove about half of the tumor, giving Blair and her family hope for a cure. 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. Speed skater Eric Heiden won five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. After the Albertville games ended, Blair again took the opportunity created by her celebrity. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. [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. In winning the 1,000-meter event, Blair again beat Ye, this time by a mere two hundredths of a second. Bonnie Blair Olympic Legend - Part 9 - Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Film | Olympic History 22,552 views Jan 7, 2015 99 Dislike Save Olympics 9.04M subscribers Subscribe to @olympics:. "One-woman ice show." This allowed Blair to train seriously, including one stint with the U.S. men's speed skating team in Butte, Montana. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. Newsday (February 6, 1994): 16. 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 . Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater who was one of the leading competitors in the sport. Sports Illustrated (January 20, 1997): 4. 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. Blair's European trip had the desired effect, sharpening her skills for more competition. 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. 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. "Repeat for Blair." "The last lap." Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Boston Globe (January 9, 2002): F7. "To mettle the medal." World class track-and-field athlete 18 March 1964 in Cornwall, New York), speed skater who dominated the sport between 1986 and 1995, winning five gold medals in three consecutive Winter Olympics. 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. [33] The attempt to compete at her fourth Olympics was not without its challenges; the 1993 season was lackluster for Blair. 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 counts herself lucky in being able to maintain such an active retirement, noting that not all Olympic gold medalists have been as fortunate. [19] Blair held a world record at 500 meters until December 1987 when Christa Rothenburger beat her time at the World Cup. Nobody makes you do it. Speed skating and also worked for the Olympic Committee. She also began serving on the board for U.S. [18], Early in 1987, Blair won World Cup titles in the 500 and 1,000 meters. [44] Born December 29, 1911, in Hopkins County, KY, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Monroe Dockery and Thurman Fox Dockery. She received 5 gold medals and one bronze over her profession. She was the first Canadian woman to win a medal in speed skating. 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. Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) was one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Sports Illustrated (January 27, 1988): 236. ." 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. ." Blair would also hold a number of world's and American records over the course of her speed skating career. A year later she captured her first World Short-Track Championship by winning three of the four events. "Bonnie Blair Sports Illustrated (December 19, 1994): 72. Biography Bonne Blair began competing as a speed skater when she was four years old. Blair won two gold medals in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and her final two Olympic gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Overall, Blair won 4 of 18 women's medals at the 1987 World Cup; East German skaters, including Rothenburger, won 13. They are: dedication, balance, risk, and love. Speed skating champion Bonnie Blair (born 1964) is the most highly decorated American Winter Olympic athlete in history with six medals. In 1989, she won the World Sprint Championships, though she did not train as hard as she had for the Olympics. After retiring from skating, Blair had two children (son Grant and daughter Blair), worked as a motivational speaker, and wrote a book about her accomplishments, A Winning Edge (1996). Bonnie E Blair of Texas was born c. 1944. [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. Bonnie Blair She hired a different coach, Nick Thometz, who emphasized something different for Blair: explosive drills over strength and distance training. Although Ye claimed the crossover cost her the gold, the referee's rejected China's protest. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. (With Greg Brown) A Winning Edge, Taylor, 1996. [11] Her time was only 0.02 seconds faster than Ye. 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). She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Occupation Singer Family Father - David Glyndwr Hopkins Mother - Elsie Hopkins She was the youngest of six children. "I'm like, 'She's my mom.' It's never really a thought, and I guess I won't ever really . For example, Blair finished fifth in the 1991 World Sprint Championships, though she was also suffering from bronchitis at the time. [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. At the 1988 Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she was a favourite in the sprint events and earned a gold in the 500-metre event and a bronze in the 1,000-metre event. She would win this championship every year through 1994. 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. and its Licensors professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks, donated $1,500 for her trip. Blair's last year as a competitive speed skater was 1995. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie. . She continued to compete in part because there were only two years between these Olympic Games. Bonnie Blair At the time, Blair worked as the secretary of the Retail Clerks International Union, which has since become part of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1529. 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. Blair later credited her husband's continuing involvement in the sport with helping her to make the transition from competition to civilian life. She was a member of four U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Teams, winner of five Olympic gold medals between 1988 and 1994 . Siblings. Her unprecedented Olympic success began at the 1988 Calgary Games. 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. "People on the outside are like, 'Your mom is Bonnie Blair!' " Cruikshank said. 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. Of the six, five were gold, making Blair the only American woman to ever win five gold medals in the games. [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. Edwin Mosess athletic achievement is extraordinary by any standards. Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York, USA. 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. Bonnie graduated from Warren High School in 1969. 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 Time (March 7, 1988): 69. It's fun to set goals, reach goals, reset goals. 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. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bonnie-blair. 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. [28] Blair was back to competing later in the season and won the 1989 World Sprint Championships held in Heerenveen, Netherlands. [7] Blair topped her own World Record the following year, achieving a time of 38.69 on February 12, 1995 in Calgary. Blair's athletic achievements, combined with her friendly, down-to-earth manner, earned her recognition from journalists as an "All-American girl." Encyclopedia.com. When the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, came around, Blair was again favored to win. American speed skater Bonnie Blairwas born on the 18 March 1953in Cornwall, New Yorkto Eleanor and Charlie Blair. Bonnie Blair Sports, Goal, Physical Attraction 15 Copy quote Four key words--helped make my dreams come true. [8] Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree. She won gold at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. She was a pupil at Jefferson Middle School and Centennial High School. Bonnie Blair. 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. Blair said she quit because there was nothing left for her to prove. 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? That's where Bonnie, born in Illinois, moved to train. [30] Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Blair regained her competitive edge. Address: c/o 306 White Pine Rd., Delafield, WI 53018-1124. Bonnie (Blair) Roos. After this, at the age of 31, she felt she was ready to retire from competitive skating. 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. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bonnie Blair for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. 2. [48][49], Blair began dating fellow Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank in 1990. 9 August 1914-21 December 1983 (Age 69) Letcher, Kentucky, United States. 23 Feb. 2023 . 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. The Life Summary of Bonnie. [5]:44 The breathing problem lingered through the 1991 World Sprint Championships where she finished fifth. Corrections? Also in 1984, Blair competed at the Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Following her retirement from competitive skating, Blair remained extremely active, both in her sport and outside of it. By the time she was in grade school, speed skating had become her number-one leisure activity. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. Bonnie Blair. View the profiles of people named Bonnie Blair. ", Blair competed as a speed skater one more season following her last Olympic win. Encyclopedia of World Biography. [26], Despite her success at the 1988 Olympics, Blair did not enjoy a windfall from endorsements. Bonnie Kathleen Blair is the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. [39][8] There, Blair won the 500 meters with a time of 39.54 seconds. Witteman, Paul A. Blair told Shannon Brownlee of Sports Illustrated, "Skating is a joy. "Child of innocence." She won a number of races as a child, including the Illinois state championship when she was seven. 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. Moving on, she has a net worth of approximately $1.5 million dollars. She has been married to Dave Cruikshank since June 23, 1996. Notable Sports Figures. There she won two more gold medals, for both the 500-meter and the 1,000-meter races. Brownlee, Shannon. Sports Illustrated (February 27, 1995): 52. At the 1984 Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), she could finish no better than eighth in the 500-metre event. 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. [43] As of 2018, Blair serves on the board of the Pettit National Ice Center. [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. But Dave gave me real direction.". When the gun goes off, I don't worry about the person next to me. Also, Jack Sikma, a 12. Washington Post (January 2, 1992): D3. [4] At age 7, Blair won her age group at the Illinois Speed Skating Championship. Blair entered the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Canada, as a veteran of hundreds of races, a world record holder, and the favorite to win the 500-meter event. She won five gold medals and one bronze over her career. [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. Blair trained every morning before school and her discipline paid off; at age fifteen she qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials, but narrowly missed making the team. It's a solitary sport, one in which you can claim all the rewards as your own. Copyright 2023 Web Solutions LLC. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Though Blair briefly considered not competing in the 1992 games, she told Douglas S. Looney of Sports Illustrated, "Skating has always been a pleasure and a joy. She again won the world sprint title in 1994, also winning the World Cup 500- and 1,000-metre races that year. She also tried her hand at gymnastics for a while. By the time Blair was fifteen, she decided to make speed skating her sole sport, training in a vigilant and dedicated fashion. For nearly a decade betw, Heiden, Eric When Bonnie was still an infant, Charlie, who called the new baby "missy" because the pregnancy was a mistake, took a new job and moved the family to Champaign, Illinois, then considered a mecca for speedskating. Washington Post (February 11, 1994): H5. Blairs greatest success came at the Olympics, though she started slowly. "Time after time." Cazeneuve, Brian. Brand, David. She had an older brother, Hubert (Buster), and a younger sister, Billie. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. [5]:45 After the Olympics, Blair moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train at the newly opened Pettit International Ice Center. 47 No. Blair finished fourth in a national sprint competition for cyclists. She was the daughter of Charlie and Eleanor Blair, who raised their large Catholic family in Champaign, Illinois. Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Blair. Jenkins, Sally. Looney, Douglas S. "Bring back Bonnie." She was born to Wayne and Delma (Guenzler) Blair on June 9 th 1951. After the Olympics, Blair continued her education, studying physical education at Montana Tech University. Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is, Moses, Edwin 1955 As a speed skater, Blair had exemplary technique which contributed to her success. "The kids eat cereal on top of it," she told Parrish, "but it's got a heavy top, so nothing gets underneath." Professionally, Charlie Blair was an engineer while Eleanor Blair worked in real estate. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Russian speed skater Background Bonnie Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, United States; the youngest of six children. 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. . In the 500-meter race she won her first gold medal, defeating the defending champion by .02 seconds and setting a new world record in the process. Sports Illustrated (February 24, 1992): 18. She lived in Whitesburg, Letcher, Kentucky, United States for about 10 . [28] At the event, Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory. 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 competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. 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. Blair, whose stage and screen career spanned eight decades, died early on Thursday morning. Speed skating. 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. . She has also made television commercials for such major corporations as McDonald's and AT&T. Born in Cornwall, New York on March 18, 1964 as the youngest of six children, her family moved to Champaign, Illinois and Bonnie first donned skates at the age of two and was competing as a speed skater by the age of four. Blair made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the 500-meter event at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She was named as the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year and the USOC Sportswoman of the Year. American Stock/Getty Images. [50] The pair married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1996. ." Blair was forced to rely on superior technique and a ferocious will to win because of her physical limitations. [47] She was awarded a star (#7) on The Flag for Hope on September 29, 2015 in recognition of her outstanding Speed Skating Career and philanthropic efforts. At the time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating. She made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. Facebook gives people the power to. Parry, Melanie, ed. 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 ). . Cloud State Men's Hockey @SCSUHuskies_MH . [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. 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 . Phillips, Angus. [39] The Blair Bunch, the name given to Blair's family and friends, accounted for 12% of the crowd at the Pettit National Ice Center. She became the first American woman to win five gold Olympic medals and the first American Winter Olympian to win six career medals. All Rights Reserved Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 6, 2002; February 18, 2002. Bonnie Blair was married to Raymond W. Blair on May 7, 2004 in Johnson County, Texas. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.