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Heiden, Eric

The Short List
  • Won unprecedented five gold medals at 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid (500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m)
  • Earned 1980 Sullivan Award as the top American amateur athlete
  • In his second athletic career, cycling, he won the 1985 USPro Championships
Did You Know?
  • Of the six gold medals that the United States won at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, Heiden won five.
  • Retired immediately after his stirring performance at the 1980 Games
  • Named the 46th greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN SportsCentury
  • Sister, Beth, also was a 1980 U.S. Olympian in speed skating
  • Before he went after his fifth gold medal at the 1980 Games, Heiden attended the U.S.-Soviet Union 'Miracle on Ice' game. After the Americans' dramatic victory and just hours before his race, Heiden could hardly sleep. He ended up oversleeping and had lit
  • Also competed at 1976 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck
  • Never was comfortable with the fame that surrounded him during the Olympic Winter Games. "I really liked it best when I was a nobody."
  • Graduated from Stanford Medical School and followed in his father's footsteps, becoming an orthopedic surgeon
  • Is an assistant professor at the University of California-Davis
It's Every Day

Heiden now lives in Sacramento with his wife, Karen Drews, and is an orthopedic surgeon and sports team physician. He is serving as the U.S. Speedskating team physician for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Quote

His comments following his five-medal sweep confirmed that: "Heck, gold medals, what can you do with them? I'd rather get a nice warmup suit. That's something I can use. Gold medals just sit there.When I get old, maybe I could sell them if I need the mon



Born: 6/14/1958
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Resides: Sacramento, Calif.
Sport: Speed Skating

 
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