Eric Heiden

Common card · No. 366547

Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958) is an American physician and a former long track speed skater, road cyclist and track cyclist. At the 1980 Winter Olympics, Heiden was the most successful athlete, setting four Olympic records and one world record, and winning an unprecedented five individual gold medals. Only two nations — the Soviet Union (10) and East Germany (9) — won more gold medals at the Lake Placid Olympics. In the 2026 Milano-Cortino Winter Games, Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won six golds, though two were in team events. Heiden delivered the Athlete's Oath at those same 1980 Games. His coach was Dianne Holum. Heiden is an icon in the speed skating community. 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...

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