Eric Heiden

Eric Heiden
Heiden in March 2007
Personal information
Birth nameEric Arthur Heiden
Born (1958-06-14) June 14, 1958 (age 66)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationStanford University (BS, MD)
Height6 ft 0+12 in (184 cm)[1]
Weight185 lb (84 kg)[1]
Sport
CountryUSA
SportSpeed skating
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)500 m: 37.63 (1980)
1000 m: 1:13.60 (1980)
1500 m: 1:54.79 (1980)
3000 m: 4:06.47 (1980)
5000 m: 6:59.15 (1979)
10 000 m: 14:28.13 (1980)
Medal record
Men's speed skating
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid 10000 m
World Allround Championships
Gold medal – first place 1977 Heerenveen Allround
Gold medal – first place 1978 Gothenburg Allround
Gold medal – first place 1979 Oslo Allround
Silver medal – second place 1980 Heerenveen Allround
World Sprint Championships
Gold medal – first place 1977 Alkmaar Sprint
Gold medal – first place 1978 Lake Placid Sprint
Gold medal – first place 1979 Inzell Sprint
Gold medal – first place 1980 Milwaukee Sprint

Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958) is an American physician and a former long track speed skater, road cyclist and track cyclist. He won an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Heiden was the most successful athlete at those Olympic Games, single-handedly winning more gold medals than all nations except for the Soviet Union (10) and East Germany (9).[2] He is the most successful Winter Olympian from a single edition of any Winter Olympics. He delivered the Athlete's Oath at those same 1980 Games. His coach was Dianne Holum.[3]

Heiden is an icon in the speed skating community. His victories are significant, as few speed skaters (and athletes in general) have won competitions in both sprint and long-distance events. Heiden is the only athlete in the history of speed skating to have won all five events in a single Olympic tournament and the only one to have won a gold medal in all events. He is considered by some to be the best overall speed skater (short and long distances) in the sport's history. 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. In 2000, a Dutch newspaper called him the greatest skater ever.[4]

  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Eric Heiden". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018.
  2. ^ Aquitania, Ray E. (2010). Jock-Docs: World-Class Athletes Wearing White Coats. Booklocker.com, Incorporated. ISBN 9781609106126.
  3. ^ "Eric Heiden". Team USA. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Woldendorp, Johan (February 4, 2000). "Vrouwen snellen Heiden nu voorbij". Trouw (in Dutch). Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2010.