Beth Heiden facts for kids

Beth Heiden during the World Championships in The Hague, the Netherlands in February 1979
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	(1959-09-27) September 27, 1959 (age 65) Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Sport
Sport	Speed skating
Club	Madison Speed Skating Club
Medal record Representing the  United States Olympic Games Bronze 1980 Lake Placid 3,000 m World Championships Gold 1978 Montreal Junior Gold 1979 The Hague Allround Gold 1979 Grenoble Junior Silver 1976 Madonna di Campiglio Junior Silver 1977 Inzell Junior Silver 1978 Lake Placid Sprint Silver 1979 Inzell Sprint Silver 1980 Hamar Allround Bronze 1980 West-Allis Sprint Women’s Cycling World Championships Gold 1980 Road race

Elizabeth Lee Heiden Reid (born September 27, 1959) is an amazing American athlete. She was great at many sports, including speed skating, cross-country skiing, and bicycle racing. Beth was born in Madison, Wisconsin. She won a bronze medal in speed skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Her brother, Eric Heiden, also won five gold medals in speed skating at the same Olympics!

Beth Heiden's Early Life and Sports Career

Beth Heiden started playing sports early. In her first year of high school, she played tennis and soccer. In 1975, she even set a national record for her age in the mile run!

Olympic Dreams and World Titles

Beth went to her first Olympics in 1976 when she was just 17. In 1979, she won the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women. She was only the second American woman to ever win this title. The first was Kit Klein in 1936.

At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, Beth won a bronze medal. This was in the 3,000 meter speed skating race. She did this even though she had an ankle injury that had been bothering her.

Success in Other Sports

Beth was also a fantastic cyclist. She started cycling to stay fit when she wasn't speed skating. In 1980, she won both the US National Road Race Championships and the Road World Championship in cycling.

After the Olympics, Beth went to the University of Vermont. There, she became a champion in cross-country skiing in 1983. She was also named an All-American in the sport. That same year, she became the US National Champion in one of the skiing distance events. She graduated in 1983 and was later added to the University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. She is also in the Speed Skating Hall of Fame.

Life After Competition

In 1980, Beth had an accident where she fell and got injured. But she recovered and kept going!

Today, Beth lives in California. She still enjoys cross-country skiing with her family. In 2010, at 50 years old, she placed in the top 10 in two races at the US Nationals! She has won many other races, including the California Gold Rush and the Great Race. She also won every race she entered at the cross-country skiing Master's World Championships in McCall, Idaho.

In 2013, Beth was added to the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.

A Family of Athletes

Beth's daughter, Joanne Reid, is also a talented athlete. She has been part of the US biathlon national team since 2015. Joanne was also a champion cross-country skier at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Speed Skating Achievements

Beth Heiden was a top speed skater for most of her career. Even as a junior, she was one of the best in the world. This meant she often competed in both junior and regular championships in the same year. And she did well in both!

Her best year was 1979. She became the world allround champion. Just three weeks later, she became the world junior allround champion! At both championships, she won all four distances. In between those big wins, she also won a silver medal at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships. She won both 1,000 meter races there.

Everyone expected a lot from her at the 1980 Winter Olympics. But an ankle injury stopped her from reaching her full potential. Still, she bravely won a bronze medal in the 3,000 meter race. Her brother, Eric, won all five men's speed skating races at the same Olympics.

Beth Heiden is one of only two American women to ever become a world allround speed skating champion. The other was Kit Klein in 1936. Beth was added to the National Speedskating Hall of Fame in 1989. Her brother Eric was also added on the same day.

Beth Heiden's Medals

Here is a list of medals Beth Heiden won at important championships:

See also

• List of Olympic medalist families

Images for kids

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  Beth and Eric Heiden in 1977 in Alkmaar, the Netherlands