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Bonnie Blair

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About Bonnie Blair:

Dates: March 18, 1964 -

Known for: first American woman to win gold medals at two consecutive Winter Olympics; first American to win six gold medals in Winter Olympics Games

Sport: speed skating

Country Represented: USA

Also known as: "Bonnie the Blur," Mrs. David Cruikshank

Occupation: motivational speaker, author

Records:

won US sprint championship each year, 1985 - 1994
in four Olympics, won five gold medals and one bronze medal
1987: world speed skating record, 500m: 39.43 seconds
1995: world speed skating reocrd, 500 m: 38.99 seconds

Education:

Centennial High School, Champaign, Illinois
Parkland Junior College, Champaign
University of Montana
Montana Tech University

Background, Family:

Parents: Charles (civil engineer) and Eleanor Blair (real estate)
Siblings: youngest of six

Marriage, Children:

husband: Dave Cruikshank, June 23, 1996 (Olympic speed skater)
children: Grant and Blair

More About Bonnie Blair:

Bonnie Blair grew up in a family of speed skaters, and began skating at age two. Like all her older siblings, she competed in skating races from a young age. She began training with coach Cathy Priestner. Bonnie Blair nearly qualified for the 1980 Olympics though she had not participated in a timed race before 1979.

With coach Mike Crowe, Blair prepared for the 1984 Olympics by training with the men's USA speed skating team in Butte, Montana. Funds for her training were raised by her hometown police department, in Champaign, Illinois.

She won no medals in 1984, but continued to train hard, and in 1988 won a gold medal in the 500m and bronze in the 1000m. She left skating after the Olympics, turning to cycling, but returned to the faster sport after just a few months. Blair won a world sprint title in 1989, and switched coaches, to Peter Mueller.

Bonnie Blair won the gold in the 500m in the 1992 Winter Olympics, the first time an American woman won gold medals in two consecutive Winter Olympics. She also won the gold in the 1000m. In 1996 she won gold, again, in the 500m and 1000m competitions.

She retired in 1995, after again breaking the 500m world record. Her Olympic success led to many endorsements.

Bonnie Blair has been a popular motivational speaker as well as coaching the US women's speed skating team and doing sports commentary. Blair was an Olympic torchbearer in 2002. She married speed skater Dave Cruikshank. They have two children.

In 1996, Blair published a book, A Winning Edge.

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