SPEED SKATING
Eric Arthur Heiden (June 14, 1958) Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin
Considered the best in Sprint and long-distance history, a Dutch newspaper “greatest skater ever”.
5 individual gold medals, and 4 Olympic records 1 world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games also delivering the Athlete’s Oath
Eric and his sister Beth were the driving forces behind the creation of the Heiden Haus, a small outpost where local children can warm up after skating or playing hockey on the ice rink (complete with underground clay platform).
Heiden ranked No. 46 in ESPN‘s SportsCentury 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century in 1999, the only speed skater to make the list.
Stanford University in California, B.S. 1984 – M.D. 1991.
World Junior Speed Skating Championships in 1977- 1978.
3 World Allround Championships
4 World Sprint Championships, youngest athlete to do so.
Set world record 3 times 1000 meters, twice 3000 meters, including the 1500 meters and 10000 meters.
Top of the Adelskalender, a ranking system for long-track speed skating, for a record 1,495 days,
Oscar Mathisen Award 4 times 1977 until 1980 still is the only skater who has won the award four times. 2024
1980 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the U.S.
1983, inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
On Ice Speed Matters! w2
Copyright: Willis Whiteside 2023 All Rights Reserved.
REFERENCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Heiden