69 Facts About Bonnie Blair

Bonnie Kathleen Blair was born on March 18,1964 and is a retired American speed skater.

Bonnie Blair is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history.

Bonnie Blair made her Olympic debut in Sarajevo in 1984 where she finished eighth in the 500 meters.

At the time, Bonnie Blair trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating.

Bonnie Blair returned to the Olympics in 1988 competing in long-track at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Bonnie Blair won two gold medals in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and her final two Olympic gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer games.

Bonnie Blair continued competing through 1995 when the World Championships were held in Milwaukee, finally retiring in March 1995.

Bonnie Blair has been inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Bonnie Blair was born in Cornwall, New York to Charlie and Eleanor Bonnie Blair.

The family moved to Champaign, Illinois when Bonnie Blair was a toddler.

Already a hobby for her siblings, Bonnie Blair first tried skating at age two.

Bonnie Blair participated in her first skating meet at age 4.

Early on, Bonnie Blair competed in "pack style," or short track speed skating, where several skaters race on the ice at once.

At age 7, Bonnie Blair won her age group at the Illinois Speed Skating Championship.

Bonnie Blair attended Jefferson Middle School and later Centennial High School in Champaign In addition to skating, Blair was a cheer leader and a member of the student council.

At age 15, Bonnie Blair tried out for the national team, earning a spot on her first attempt.

Bonnie Blair completed her high school diploma through the mail in 1982.

Bonnie Blair moved to the Milwaukee area to train with the United States national speed skating team, living with a family friend while she trained.

Bonnie Blair took classes at Parkland College, although college classes were less of a priority than training and she did not receive a degree.

Bonnie Blair made her international competitive debut at the 1984 World Sprinting Championships where she placed tenth.

Later that year, Bonnie Blair appeared at her first Olympic games at age 19 in Sarajevo.

Bonnie Blair had not been not considered a front-runner and later recalled she was happy just to be at the games and see her family in the stands.

Bonnie Blair failed to medal and finished eighth in the 500 meters.

Bonnie Blair won both the 500 meter and 1500 meter at the West Allis event, and was considered one of the US team's strongest medal contenders.

Bonnie Blair won events at 1984,1985 and 1986 short-track world championships and was the 1986 overall short-track world champion.

Early in 1987, Bonnie Blair won World Cup titles in the 500 and 1,000 meters.

Bonnie Blair followed up her World Cup titles in by setting her first world record in the 500 meters with a time 39.43 seconds.

Bonnie Blair proved she could beat East-German world champion Karin Enke-Kania in head-to-head match-ups.

Bonnie Blair held a world record at 500 meters until December 1987 when Christa Rothenburger beat her time at the World Cup.

At the December 1987 US speed skating trials for the 1988 Winter Olympics, Bonnie Blair led the women's field in the 500,1,000, and 1,500 meters, securing her place on the US Olympic team, as expected.

Bonnie Blair was considered a stronger competitor in the shorter distances, where she was seen as the United States' best chance at a gold medal in speed skating.

US speed skating failure to win a single medal at the 1984 Olympics added to the pressure and attention focused on Bonnie Blair leading up to the 1988 games.

Bonnie Blair went on to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, where her first event was the 500 meters.

Bonnie Blair responded to the challenge with her best start ever in the 500 meters, winning the gold medal in world record time of 39.10 seconds.

Bonnie Blair took a break from skating, enrolling in Montana Technological University.

Bonnie Blair skipped the first two World Cup events of the 1989 season.

Bonnie Blair was back to competing later in the season and won the 1989 World Sprint Championships held in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

At the event, Bonnie Blair won the 500 meters twice and finished third and second in two 100 meters races for an overall victory.

Bonnie Blair made her competitive cycling debut in June 1989 at the Sundance Juice Sparkler Grand Prix.

Bonnie Blair contracted a severe case of bronchitis that affected her breathing.

Confidence in coach Crowe had waned in the lead up to the 1988 Olympics, Bonnie Blair helped to recruit Peter Mueller to coach the US team.

Training with Mueller in the summer before the Olympics, Bonnie Blair regained her competitive edge.

Bonnie Blair again competed at Olympics in 1992, this time held in Albertville, France.

Bonnie Blair again won gold in the 500 meters, becoming the first woman to win the event in back to back Olympics, with a time of 40.33 seconds.

Bonnie Blair's winning time was slower than her record setting pace in Calgary the venue in Albertville was outdoors creating conditions which were less conducive for speed skating.

Bonnie Blair dedicated her gold medal to her father, Charlie, who had died from lung cancer two years earlier.

Charlie had dreamed of Bonnie Blair becoming an Olympic speed skater.

Bonnie Blair won her second gold of the 1992 Olympics in the 1,000 meters.

Bonnie Blair's time was only 0.02 seconds faster than Ye.

Bonnie Blair's gold made her the most decorated US woman in Winter Olympics of all time.

Bonnie Blair began to pick-up more endorsements, including sports marketing group Advantage International.

At the 1993 World Sprint Championships, Bonnie Blair did not win any of her four races finishing behind rival Ye Qiabo.

Bonnie 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.

At the 1994, US Olympic long-track trials at the Pettit National Ice Center, Bonnie Blair set track records in the first round of the 500 meter and 1,000 meter trails.

Bonnie Blair finished 0.36 seconds ahead of the second best time in the 500 meters.

Bonnie Blair became the first American woman to win five gold Olympic medals and the first American Winter Olympian to win six career medals.

At her post race press conference, Bonnie Blair confirmed Lillehammer would be her last Olympic games.

Less than a month after Lillehammer Olympics, Bonnie Blair set another world record in the 500 meters, becoming the first female to complete the race in under 39 seconds, achieving a time of 38.99 seconds.

Bonnie Blair topped her own World Record the following year, achieving a time of 38.69 on February 12,1995 in Calgary.

Bonnie Blair continued on to the 1995 World Championships in her adopted home town of Milwaukee.

Bonnie Blair became involved with Right to Play, When the Winter Olympics returned to the United States in 2002, Bonnie Blair was one of the final torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame into Rice-Eccles Stadium for the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In 1992, Bonnie Blair became the third winter athlete to win the Sullivan Award.

In 1992, Bonnie Blair received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.

Bonnie Blair was Female Athlete of the Year as selected by the Associated Press in 1994.

Bonnie Blair is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.

Bonnie Blair was awarded a star on The Flag for Hope on September 29,2015 in recognition of her outstanding Speed Skating Career and philanthropic efforts.

Bonnie Blair began dating fellow Olympic speed skater Dave Cruikshank in 1990.

Bonnie Blair's daughter competed at the 2018 United States Olympic speed skating trials at the 500 meter distance, held at Pettit National Ice Center.

In 2021, Bonnie Blair spoke out in opposition to allowing male-to-female transgender athletes to participate in organized athletics.