Blair's success came despite the fact that she was smaller and lighter than an average female speed skater. [5]:44 The breathing problem lingered through the 1991 World Sprint Championships where she finished fifth. Parrish, Paula. 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. Address: c/o 306 White Pine Rd., Delafield, WI 53018-1124. Her life has been a furious blur of flashing blades,. Blair made her Olympic debut in Sarajevo in 1984 where she finished eighth in the 500 meters. A year later she captured her first World Short-Track Championship by winning three of the four events. In 1992, Blair received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. 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. World class track-and-field athlete Realizing that success required both dedication and sacrifice, she gave up her spot on the Centennial High School cheerleading team to focus on skating and competitions. She 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. She graduated from Centennial High School, and later took some courses at Parkland Junior College in Champaign. Leo was born on January 4 1898, in Bountiful, Davis, Utah, United States. [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. 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. Occupation Singer Family Father - David Glyndwr Hopkins Mother - Elsie Hopkins 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. "Bonnie Blue (now Bonnie Vaughn) lived across the street . [28], Following the 1988 Olympics, Blair also tried track cycle racing, and was coached by former speed skater and cycling world champion Connie Paraskevin. Wife of William Edgar Blair. 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. Encyclopedia.com. Blair also won the World Cup points championship 11 times. She continued to compete in part because there were only two years between these Olympic Games. Bonnie Blair C Retweeted. [23], Blair went on to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, where her first event was the 500 meters. Imperial Oil Web Site. "Glory and gloom." "Child of innocence." [30] Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Blair regained her competitive edge. 23 Feb. 2023 . Also, Jack Sikma, a Blair finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters. ." Parry, Melanie, ed. [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. [37] In addition to the 500 and 1,000 meters races, Blair also competing in the 1,500 meter distance missing the podium with a fourth place finish. 12. By the time Blair was fifteen, she decided to make speed skating her sole sport, training in a vigilant and dedicated fashion. She also set a record in the 1000 meters with a time of 1:19.3. Phillips, Angus. Blair knew how to win and took advantage of it. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal. At her peak, she considered the fastest woman in the world in speed skating. After this, at the age of 31, she felt she was ready to retire from competitive skating. Bonnie Blair Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Blair. Sherrow, Victoria. bonnie blair siblings. She also managed the oval built for the Calgary games after the Oympics ended for a number of years. Wolff, Alexander. Blair won events at 1984, 1985 and 1986 short-track world championships and was the 1986 overall short-track world champion. She was a pupil at Jefferson Middle School and Centennial High School. Cycling became part of Blair's speed skating training as both sports utilized the same muscle groups. She counts herself lucky in being able to maintain such an active retirement, noting that not all Olympic gold medalists have been as fortunate. [24][25] Rothenburger skating first, setting a new world record. In Olympic style, skaters skated in pairs against the clock. 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. Looney, Douglas S. "Bring back Bonnie." 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. 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. [50] Blair and Cruikshank have two children: a son, Grant, and daughter, Blair. At the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Blair again won both the 500- and 1,000-meter races. She stopped training as a skater for a brief period, spending four months training as a cyclist. 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. Bonnie Blair. [7] Blair topped her own World Record the following year, achieving a time of 38.69 on February 12, 1995 in Calgary. [17], During this time, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track. Another problem for Blair was the lack of competition among the American women speed skaters in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As Blair approached the final 400 meters, Mueller gave the signal. So, the police department in Champaign stepped in to raise money for her trip, holding a series of raffles and bake sales. She entered the Winter Games in Albertville, France, as the favorite in both events. Still Blair changed her training a bit. It's just you.". Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). (February 23, 2023). Blair dedicated her gold medal to her father, Charlie, who had died from lung cancer two years earlier. American track and field athlete (b. "Introspective Blair Rebuffs Outside World in Pursuit of Gold." She entered her first competition at age four and won her first race at age seven. 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 ). ." Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. [28] At the event, Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory. She made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix. [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 lived up to the hype by winning a gold medal in the 500 meters and a bronze in the 1000 meters. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/blair-bonnie. [2][25] Blair's third and final event of the 1988 Winter Olympics was the 1,500 meters, in which she placed fourth. Washington Post (February 11, 1994): H5. 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. She went to work coaching the U.S. women's speed skating team, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1985, Blair won the North American indoor speed skating championship, and in 1986, she again won the U.S. indoor title. [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. [5]:45 Blair also began to pick-up more endorsements, including sports marketing group Advantage International. Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater who was one of the leading competitors in the sport. The results were impressive. In Champaign, I'd miss a workout or two. She knows just a thing or two about U.S. speed skating and the rise of women's sports. But Blair is going out on top." Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Matson, Barbara. . This allowed Blair to train seriously, including one stint with the U.S. men's speed skating team in Butte, Montana. After the Olympics, Blair continued her education, studying physical education at Montana Tech University. Toronto Star, January 11, 1995; March 19, 1995. Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973) was one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Bonnie Parker was born on October 1, 1910. ." 1939- She dominated the sprint events at three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1994), winning five gold medals and one bronze. Charlie had dreamed of Bonnie becoming an Olympic speed skater. They saw Blair win two more golds. She also took these titles in 1995. Though she did well at the meet, she did not make the team. 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 would also hold a number of world's and American records over the course of her speed skating career. "To mettle the medal." Training remained her focus, however. She had an older brother, Hubert (Buster), and a younger sister, Billie. Her total of six Olympic medals (five gold and a bronze) also made her the most successful American Winter Olympian in history. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bonnie-Blair, Bonnie Blair - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). private siblings' names; private children's names (1) spouse's name and marriage information; ABC-CLIO, 1996. Veteran entertainer, TV presenter and dancer Lionel Blair has died aged 92, his agent has said. 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. She skated twice around the Pettit National Ice Center for a cheering crowd of ten thousand fans before lighting the Olympic caldron set up at the Center. Rushin, Steve. Blair was born on March 18, 1964, in Cornwall, New York, the youngest of six children. 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. She embarked on a whirlwind travel schedule in Europe, taking on the world's best. American speed skater Bonnie Blairwas born on the 18 March 1953in Cornwall, New Yorkto Eleanor and Charlie Blair. Noden, Merrell. 5 What actress portrayed. Bonnie Blair. [10] Later that year, Blair appeared at her first Olympic games at age 19 in Sarajevo. 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 Cruikshank had skated in four Olympics by 1998, and he narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. team for the 2002 Olympics. She won the 1986 short-track world championship. [3] To finance the expense of training in Europe, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association began sponsoring some of Blair. Cruikshank's mother is five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair and her dad is four-time Olympian Dave Cruikshank. [32], Her success in the 1992 Olympics led to more attention for Blair. She also began serving on the board for U.S. 1. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. Notable Sports Figures. Bonnie was born March 18, 1964. Blair came from a family of avid skaters and began entering races when she was four years old. (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 . I don't see any torture in this at all.". 47 No. After the 1994 Olympics, Blair continued to compete. The trials were a breeze for her. . She won the first American gold of the games when she won the 500 meter race. [2][4] She completed her high school diploma through the mail in 1982. Four days later, she took the gold in the 1,000-meter race, winning by just two one-hundredths of a second. She was born to Wayne and Delma (Guenzler) Blair on June 9 th 1951. Cloud State Men's Hockey @SCSUHuskies_MH . "Skating first." 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. lonnie turner jr forensic files, is jeff wahlberg related to mark wahlberg,

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