Thursday, 21 November 2024

Bonnie Blair

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Speed Skating
Statistics: 3 500 m Speed Skating Olympic Gold Medals (1988, 1992 & 1994)
2 1,000 m Speed Skating Gold Medals (1992 &1994)
1 1,000 m Speed Skating Bronze Medal (1988)
3 World Sprint Championship Gold Medals (1989, 1994 & 1995)
4 World Sprint Championship Silver Medals (1987, 1990, 1992 & 1993)
2 World Sprint Speed Skating Championship Bronze Medals (1986 & 1988)
5 500 m ISU Speed Skating World Cups (1987, 1990, 1992, 1994 & 1995)
5 1,000 m ISU Speed Skating World Cups (1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 & 1995)
One 1,500 Speed Skating World Cup (1988)
1 AP Female Athlete of the Year Award (1994)
1 James E. Sullivan Award (1992)
Member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
You cannot discuss speed skating in America without Bonnie Blair’s name coming up immediately.
A four-time Olympian, Blair first qualified for the 1984 Olympics, finishing eighth, but she was a two-time World Cup Champion in 1987, and she won Gold at the Calgary games in the 500 m. That in itself is spectacular, but there was so much more that Blair would accomplish.
Blair would dominate in the next two Olympics, winning Gold in the 500 and 1,000 in 1992 and 1994 and cementing herself as the most successful female Winter Olympian of all-time.
In addition to her Olympic success, Blair also won three World Sprint Speed Skating Titles and eleven ISU Speed Skating World Cups. Success in a sport does not come much better than Bonnie Blair.
We are proud to nominate Bonnie Blair for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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