You Are Here > Olympics at Sports-Reference.com > Athletes > Bonnie Blair

Bonnie Blair

Full name: Bonnie Kathleen Blair (-Cruikshank)
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Weight: 130 lbs (59 kg)
Born: March 18, 1964 in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, United States
Affiliations: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Country: USA United States
Sport: Speed Skating

Related Olympians: Wife of Dave Cruikshank.

Medals: 5 Gold, 1 Bronze (6 Total)

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

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE
Games Age City Sport Event Team NOC Rank Medal
1984 Winter 19 Sarajevo Speed Skating Women's 500 metres United States USA 8
1988 Winter 23 Calgary Speed Skating Women's 500 metres United States USA 1 Gold WR
1988 Winter 23 Calgary Speed Skating Women's 1,000 metres United States USA 3 Bronze OR
1988 Winter 23 Calgary Speed Skating Women's 1,500 metres United States USA 4
1992 Winter 27 Albertville Speed Skating Women's 500 metres United States USA 1 Gold
1992 Winter 27 Albertville Speed Skating Women's 1,000 metres United States USA 1 Gold
1992 Winter 27 Albertville Speed Skating Women's 1,500 metres United States USA 21
1994 Winter 29 Lillehammer Speed Skating Women's 500 metres United States USA 1 Gold
1994 Winter 29 Lillehammer Speed Skating Women's 1,000 metres United States USA 1 Gold
1994 Winter 29 Lillehammer Speed Skating Women's 1,500 metres United States USA 4

Women's 500 metres

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T 100m
1984 Winter 19 Sarajevo Speed Skating United States Final Standings 8 42.53 11.13
1988 Winter 23 Calgary Speed Skating United States Final Standings 1 WR 39.10 10.55
1992 Winter 27 Albertville Speed Skating United States Final Standings 1 40.33 10.71
1994 Winter 29 Lillehammer Speed Skating United States Final Standings 1 39.25 10.60

Women's 1,000 metres

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T 200m 600m
1988 Winter 23 Calgary Speed Skating United States Final Standings 3 OR 1:18.31 18.11 46.73
1992 Winter 27 Albertville Speed Skating United States Final Standings 1 1:21.90 18.21 48.29
1994 Winter 29 Lillehammer Speed Skating United States Final Standings 1 1:18.74 18.04 46.92

Women's 1,500 metres

Glossary ▪ CSV ▪ PRE ▪ Event History ▪ Mouseover for column descriptions
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T 300m 700m 1100m
1988 Winter 23 Calgary Speed Skating United States Final Standings 4 2:04.02 26.38 56.86 1:29.65
1992 Winter 27 Albertville Speed Skating United States Final Standings 21 2:10.89 26.66 58.51 1:32.85
1994 Winter 29 Lillehammer Speed Skating United States Final Standings 4 2:03.44 26.25 57.24 1:29.16