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 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 Journey

When Beth Heiden was in high school, she played tennis and soccer. In 1975, she set a national record for her age in the mile run. She also competed in state championships for both the 800-meter and mile races.

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

Olympic Achievements and Injuries

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

Trying New Sports

After her speed skating success, Beth started cross training with cycling. This helped her stay fit outside of the skating season. In 1980, she won both the United States National Road Race Championships and the Road World Championship in cycling.

While studying at the University of Vermont, she also became a champion in cross-country skiing. She won the NCAA national championship in 1983. She was also named an All-American in the sport. In the same year, she became the US National Champion in one of the skiing distance events.

Life After College and Continued Success

Beth graduated from the University of Vermont in 1983. She was later honored in the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. She has also been inducted into the Speed Skating Hall of Fame.

In 1980, she had an accident where she broke her wrist and hurt her spleen. This happened when a porch railing broke.

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 Idaho.

On November 16, 2013, Beth Heiden was honored again. She was inducted into the US Bicycling Hall of Fame.

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 an NCAA champion cross-country skier at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Beth Heiden's Speed Skating Career

For most of her speed skating career, Beth Heiden was considered a junior skater. However, she was still 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 very well in both!

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

Olympic Expectations and Medals

Many people had high hopes for Beth at the 1980 Winter Olympics. However, an ankle injury kept her from performing at her very best. Even with the injury, she still 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 champion. The other was Kit Klein in 1936. Beth was inducted into the National Speedskating Hall of Fame in 1989. Her brother Eric was inducted on the same day.

Major Championship Medals

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

Images for kids

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  Beth and Eric Heiden in 1977 in Alkmaar, the Netherlands

See also

• List of Olympic medalist families