Other names: HEIDEN, Eric Arthur

Born: 14 June 1958

Birthplace: Madison (United States)

Nationality: United States

 

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Innsbruck 1976

Lake Placid 1980

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 5

Details

Other results:

World Championships

Gold : 7 (77, 78, 79, 80)

Silver : 1 (80)

Sweeping Every Distance

As a 17-year-old, Eric Heiden competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics, finishing 7th in the 1,500m and 19th in the 5,000. He then blossomed as a skater and won the overall title at the world championships three years in a row. At the 1980 Lake Placid Games, Heiden won all five speed skating events from 500m all the way up to 10,000m and he set an Olympic record in every one.

His hardest races were the 500 and the 1,500. In the former he came from behind to defeat world record holder Yevgeny Kulikov. In the latter he hit a rut in the ice midway through the race and almost fell.

He recovered and beat Kai Arne Stenshjemmet by 37 hundredths of a second. In his final victory, the 10,000m, Heiden broke the world record by 6.20 seconds. He was the first person in Olympic history to win five gold medals in individual events in the same Games. After the Olympics, Heiden turned to cycling and competed in the 1986 Tour de France.