Lake Placid, February 1980: American speed skater Eric HEIDEN in action during the XIII Olympic Winter Games. HEIDEN won all five of the speed skating events that were in the programme of the Games: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m and 10000m. Credit: Getty Images/Tony DuffyOther 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.
