- published: 30 Jan 2015
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Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958 in Madison, Wisconsin) is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, United States. He was the most successful athlete at the same Games, and is indeed, the most successful Winter Olympian from a single edition of Winter Olympics. He also delivered the Athlete's Oath at those same games.
Heiden is an icon in the speed skating community and, in particular, in Europe where the sport is highly regarded. 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 speedskater (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.
Eric Heiden - 5 Speed Skating Golds at the 1980 Olympics | Olympic Records
1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics Highlights Of Eric Heiden Brought By Keith Jackson imasportsphile
1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics Men's 500m Speed Skating Finals With USA Eric Heiden imasportsphi
Interview Eric Heiden - 1989
US Speed Skater Eric Heiden At 1979 World Championships Via Satellite From Germany imasportsphile
Olympian Eric Heiden Overslept For His Race After the Miracle on Ice
Eric Heiden on Training
Eric Heiden - Train Like A Champion
ERIC HEIDEN Łyżwiarstwo szybkie (speed skating) lata 76-80
Eric Heiden Old La Honda Record 14:10
Eric Heiden - pięć złotych medali, Lake Placid, 1980
Heiden Exercises
Eric Heiden sets WR
Olympics - 1980 Lake Placid - Speed Skating - USA Eric Heiden imasportsphile