Eric Arthur Heiden 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). 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.
Heiden in March 2007
Heiden in 1977
Heiden in 1977
Eric and Beth Heiden in 1977 in Alkmaar, the Netherlands
Long-track speed skating, usually simply referred to as speed skating, is the Olympic discipline of speed skating where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as ice skating marathon, short-track speedskating, inline speedskating, and quad speed skating are also called speed skating.
Competitive speed skater (Shannon Rempel 2007)
Jaap Eden, the first official world champion
A skater in full body-covering suit
The long-track Olympic Oval in Calgary. Two hockey rinks fit inside the long-track rink.