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Bonnie Blair

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Other
SexFemale
Full nameBonnie Kathleen•Blair (-Cruikshank)
Used nameBonnie•Blair
Born18 March 1964 in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York (USA)
Measurements165 cm / 59 kg
AffiliationsChampaign-Urbana, Illinois
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 5
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 6

Biography

American Bonnie Blair is the only woman to have won an Olympic speed skating event at three successive Games with victories in the 500 metres in 1988, 1992 and 1994. She also won the 1,000 metres in 1992 and 1994 after taking the bronze in 1988, and her total of five speed skating gold medals has only been bettered by the Russian Lidiya Skoblikova. Blair actually started out as a short-track skater, before turning her efforts to the 400 metre Olympic oval. She won four World Championships, those being the World Short-Track Championships in 1986, and the World Sprints in 1989, 1994, and 1995. Blair set four world records in the 500 metres, the last of which was four weeks after the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, in which she became the first woman to break 39 seconds for the 500.

Personal Bests: 500 – 38.69 (1995); 1000 – 1:18.05 (1995); 1500 – 2:03.44 (1994); 3000 – 4:47.60 (1986); 5000 – 8:58.29 (1985).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1984 Winter Olympics Speed Skating (Skating) USA Bonnie Blair
500 metres, Women (Olympic) 8
1988 Winter Olympics Speed Skating (Skating) USA Bonnie Blair
500 metres, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold
1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) 3 Bronze
1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) 4
1992 Winter Olympics Speed Skating (Skating) USA Bonnie Blair
500 metres, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold
1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold
1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) 21
1994 Winter Olympics Speed Skating (Skating) USA Bonnie Blair
500 metres, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold
1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) 1 Gold
1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) 4

Olympic Records

Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.
Games Date Sport Event Phase Mark Pos
1988 Winter Olympics 22 February 1988 Speed Skating (Skating) 500 metres, Women Final Standings 39.10 WR 1
1988 Winter Olympics 26 February 1988 Speed Skating (Skating) 1,000 metres, Women Final Standings 1:18.31 3

Other participations

Games Role NOC As
1988 Winter Olympics Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony USA Bonnie Blair
1992 Winter Olympics Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony USA Bonnie Blair

Olympic family relations

Special Notes