Bonnie Blair is a retired American speed skater. One of the most decorated speed skaters of her era, Blair trained in both short-track and long-track speed skating. According to Blair’s profile page on Team USA, she participated in races at the tender age of 4 and went on to set a world record in the 500-meter event twice. While she started her speed skating career competing in “pack style” or short speed skating, she later switched to long track speed skating in 1979, after making Cathy Priestner Faminow her coach.
The 5-foot-5 American athlete competed in speed skating for 12 years after turning pro in 1984. On the personal front, Blair attended Jefferson Middle School and later graduated from Centennial High School. She also used to be a cheerleader and a student council member, aside from skating. The 61-year-old (as of July 2025) was named Sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1994 and is the founder of Bonnie Blair Charitable Fund, as per her profile page on Team USA.
How many medals has Bonnie Blair won?
Bonnie Blair won fifteen medals, including six Olympic medals and nine at the World Championships. She participated in the four Winter Olympics (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1994), where she won 5 gold and 1 bronze medal. Blair won her first gold medal at the Olympic Games in Calgary (1988) in the 500m and a bronze in the 1000m. In the 1992 Winter Olympics, she brought home two golds, one in 500m and another in 1000m. She once again came out on top in the 1994 Winter Olympics, by winning two more gold medals in 500m and 1000m (via Blair’s profile page on Team USA).
In the World championships, Blair has won three gold medals, three silver and three bronze medals. She won two golds in the sprint combination in the 1994 and 1995 world championship events, while winning a third in 1986. She added two silver medals in the sprint combination at the 1992 and 1993 events, while her first Silver medal at the World Championships came in 1985. Out of 3 bronze medals, two of them came in the 3000m relay in the 1983 and 1984 world championships. In 1984, she also won bronze in the women-overall (via Blair’s profile page on Team USA).
FAQs on Bonnie Blair
A. Bonnie Blair is 61 years old as of July 2025.
A. Bonnie Blair is a retired speed skater.
A. Bonnie Blair's husband is Dave Cruikshank.
