Bonnie Blair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bonnie Blair

Blair in 2010
Personal information
Born	(1964-03-18) March 18, 1964 (age 61) Cornwall, New York, U.S.
Height	5 ft 5 in
Weight	130 lb
Spouse(s)	Dave Cruikshank ​ (m. 1996)​
Sport
Sport	Speed skating
Turned pro	1984
Retired	1995
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	1984, 1988, 1992, 1994
Medal record Women's speed skating Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1988 Calgary 500 m Gold 1992 Albertville 500 m Gold 1992 Albertville 1,000 m Gold 1994 Lillehammer 500 m Gold 1994 Lillehammer 1,000 m Bronze 1988 Calgary 1,000 m World Championships Gold 1989 Heerenveen Sprint Gold 1994 Calgary Sprint Gold 1995 Milwaukee Sprint Silver 1987 Sainte Foy Sprint Silver 1990 Tromsø Sprint Silver 1992 Oslo Sprint Silver 1993 Ikaho Sprint Bronze 1986 Karuizawa Sprint Bronze 1988 West Allis Sprint

Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964) is a famous American speed skater. She is known as one of the best skaters of her time. Bonnie is also one of the most successful athletes in Olympic history. She competed for the United States in four Olympic Games. During these games, she won an amazing five gold medals and one bronze medal.

Bonnie Blair first competed in the Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984. She finished eighth in the 500 meters race. At that time, Bonnie trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating. She even won the short-track world championship in 1986.

She returned to the Olympics in 1988 in Calgary. There, she won her first Olympic gold medal in the 500 meters. She also earned a bronze medal in the 1,000 meters. Bonnie won two more gold medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Her final two Olympic gold medals came at the 1994 Lillehammer games. Bonnie kept competing until 1995. She officially retired in March 1995 after the World Championships in Milwaukee.

After she stopped speed skating, Bonnie became a motivational speaker. She shares her story to inspire others. She has been honored in several sports halls of fame. These include the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Skating Start

Bonnie Blair was born in Cornwall, New York. Her parents were Charlie and Eleanor Blair. She was the youngest of six children. Her godmother, Cathy Priestner, was also a Canadian speed skater. When Bonnie was a toddler, her family moved to Champaign, Illinois.

Bonnie first tried skating at age two. Her older brothers and sisters already enjoyed it. She entered her first skating competition when she was just four years old. Early in her career, Bonnie competed in "pack style" skating. This is now called short track speed skating. In this style, several skaters race on the ice at the same time. At age seven, Bonnie won her age group at the Illinois Speed Skating Championship.

She went to Jefferson Middle School and then Centennial High School in Champaign. Besides skating, Bonnie was also a cheerleader. She was also a member of the student council.

Switching to Long Track Skating

In 1979, Olympic medalist Cathy Priestner Faminow became Bonnie's coach. This was a big change for Bonnie. She switched from pack style to long track speed skating. In long track, skaters race against the clock for the fastest time.

At age 15, Bonnie tried out for the national team. She earned a spot on her very first try. As she focused more on the 1984 Olympics, Bonnie went to Europe to train. To help pay for her training, the Champaign Policemen's Benevolent Association sponsored her. She finished high school by mail in 1982.

Later, she moved to the Milwaukee area. She trained there with the United States national speed skating team. She lived with a family friend while she trained. Bonnie also took classes at Parkland College. However, her training was more important than her college studies.

Olympic Journey and Success

Bonnie Blair competing in speed skating.

First Olympics and Early Career (1984–1986)

Bonnie Blair made her first international appearance in 1984. This was at the World Sprinting Championships, where she placed tenth. Later that year, at age 19, Bonnie went to her first Olympic Games in Sarajevo. She was not expected to win a medal. Bonnie later said she was just happy to be there and see her family. She did not win a medal, finishing eighth in the 500 meters. The U.S. team did not win any speed skating medals at these Olympics.

After the 1984 Olympics, Bonnie worked hard with her coach, Mike Crowe. They wanted to improve her skills to compete with the strong East German skaters. In 1985, Bonnie performed very well at a U.S. championship. This earned her a spot on the U.S. long track women's sprint team. She was seen as one of the team's best chances for a medal.

Bonnie also continued to train in both short-track and long-track skating. She won events at the 1984, 1985, and 1986 short-track world championships. She was the overall short-track world champion in 1986.

Becoming an Olympic Medalist (1987–1989)

In early 1987, Bonnie won World Cup titles in the 500 and 1,000 meters. She then set her first world record in the 500 meters. Her time was 39.43 seconds. Bonnie showed she could beat the East German world champion, Karin Enke-Kania. Even though Bonnie was shorter, her technique and fast start made her a very strong competitor.

Bonnie's 500-meter world record was broken in December 1987 by Christa Rothenburger. Bonnie finished second in that race. Overall, Bonnie won 4 of 18 women's medals at the 1987 World Cup.

At the U.S. Olympic trials in December 1987, Bonnie was the top woman. She led in the 500, 1,000, and 1,500 meters. This secured her spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Everyone expected her to be the U.S.'s best chance for a gold medal in speed skating.

Bonnie went to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Her first event was the 500 meters. Rothenburger skated first and set a new world record. Bonnie responded with her best start ever. She won the gold medal with a new world record time of 39.10 seconds! In her second event, the 1,000 meters, Bonnie set a personal best. She briefly held an Olympic record. Two skaters after her beat her time, so Bonnie won the bronze medal. Her third event was the 1,500 meters, where she placed fourth.

Bonnie's family and friends, known as the "Blair Bunch," were always there to cheer her on. At the end of the games, Bonnie was chosen to carry the American flag. This was a great honor.

After the 1988 Olympics, Bonnie took a break from skating. She also tried track cycling. Cycling helped her speed skating training because it used the same muscles. She decided to focus only on speed skating after missing a chance to compete at the World Championships in cycling.

More Olympic Gold (1990–1992)

The 1990–1991 season was tough for Bonnie. She got very sick with bronchitis, which affected her breathing. This problem lasted through the 1991 World Sprint Championships, where she finished fifth.

Bonnie helped bring Peter Mueller in as the new coach for the U.S. team. This change happened ten months before the 1992 Olympics. Training with Mueller helped Bonnie get back her competitive edge.

Bonnie competed again at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. She won gold in the 500 meters again. This made her the first woman to win this event in two Olympics in a row. Her winning time was 40.33 seconds. The outdoor venue in Albertville made conditions harder for speed skating. Bonnie dedicated her gold medal to her father, Charlie, who had passed away two years earlier. He had always dreamed of her becoming an Olympic speed skater.

In her second event, the 1,500 meters, Bonnie finished 21st. Her coach told her to save energy if she wasn't going to win a medal. Bonnie won her second gold medal of the 1992 Olympics in the 1,000 meters. Her time was 1:21.90, just 0.02 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. With this win, Bonnie became the most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympics history.

Her success in 1992 brought Bonnie a lot of attention. She was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She also started getting more endorsements. After the Olympics, Bonnie moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She trained at the new Pettit International Ice Center.

Final Olympics and Retirement (1993–1995)

The International Olympic Committee decided to hold the Winter Olympics every two years instead of four. So, the next Winter Games were in February 1994. Bonnie faced challenges in 1993. She didn't win any races at the 1993 World Sprint Championships. She felt she had lost her quickness. After trying a new coach, Bonnie set track records at the 1994 U.S. Olympic trials.

The 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, were another huge success for Bonnie. She won gold again in both the 500 meters (39.25 seconds) and 1,000 meters (1:18.74). She finished far ahead of her competitors. Her 1.38-second lead in the 1,000 meters is the biggest winning margin ever in that event.

Bonnie's success at Lillehammer made her one of the most decorated American Olympians ever. She became the first American woman to win five Olympic gold medals. She was also the first American Winter Olympian to win six career medals. Besides the 500 and 1,000 meters, Bonnie also competed in the 1,500 meters. She finished fourth, just missing another medal. After the races, Bonnie confirmed that Lillehammer would be her last Olympic Games.

After the 1994 Olympics, Bonnie continued to compete for a short time. Less than a month later, she set another world record in the 500 meters. She was the first woman to finish the race in under 39 seconds, with a time of 38.99 seconds. She broke her own world record again in 1995 in Calgary, with a time of 38.69 seconds.

Bonnie went on to the 1995 World Championships in Milwaukee, her adopted hometown. The "Blair Bunch" made up a large part of the crowd. There, Bonnie won the 500 meters. On March 18, 1995, she officially retired from speed skating.

Life After Skating

After retiring, Bonnie Blair remained involved in sports. In 2000, fellow speed skater Johann Olav Koss started Right To Play. This charity helps children through sports. He asked Bonnie to be one of its first celebrity ambassadors.

When the Winter Olympics returned to the United States in 2002, Bonnie had a special role. She was one of the final torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame. She brought it into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah.

As of 2002, Bonnie served on the board of directors for U.S. Speedskating. By 2014, she was working as a motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson. That same year, she was part of the U.S. Olympic team delegation to Sochi. As of 2018, Bonnie serves on the board of the Pettit National Ice Center.

Awards and Honors

Bonnie Blair on an Azerbaijani postage stamp, 1995

In 1992, Bonnie Blair won the James E. Sullivan Award. This award goes to the best amateur athlete in the United States. She also won the 1992 Oscar Mathisen Award, becoming the first female winner. In 1992, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

The Associated Press named Bonnie Female Athlete of the Year in 1994. She also won the World Cup points championship 11 times. Sports Illustrated named Bonnie their Sportswoman of the Year for 1994. By 1994, her hometown of Champaign had even renamed one of its streets Bonnie Blair Drive.

She is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2004, she was chosen for the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. On September 29, 2015, she received a star (#7) on The Flag for Hope. This was for her amazing speed skating career and her charity work.

Personal Life

Bonnie Blair started dating fellow Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank in 1990. They got married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1996. Bonnie and Dave have two children: a son named Grant and a daughter named Blair.

Grant Cruikshank played hockey at Colorado College. As of 2021, he played for the University of Minnesota. Bonnie's daughter, Blair, competed in the 2018 United States Olympic speed skating trials. She raced in the 500-meter distance.

See also

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• West Allis Speedskating Club

Images for kids

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  Learn more about Bonnie Blair in Spanish on Kiddle.