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Beth Heiden
Beth Heiden
Beth Heiden
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Elizabeth Lee Heiden Reid (born September 27, 1959) is an American athlete who excelled in speed skating, cross-country skiing, and bicycle racing. She was born in Madison, Wisconsin. She was a speedskating bronze medalist at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, where her brother Eric won five speedskating gold medals.[1]

Key Information

Biography

[edit]

In her first year of high school (Madison West High School) Heiden was a tennis and soccer player.[2] That same year, 1975, she ran a national record in the mile for her age and ran in states for both the 800 and the mile.

She attended her first Olympics in 1976, at the age of 17. In 1979, she won the World Allround Speed Skating Championships, the second American woman to do so. (Kit Klein had been the first, winning the first official world championship in 1936.) Heiden won a bronze medal in the 3,000 m at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, skating on an ankle injury that had bothered her for some time.[1]

In cycle racing, which she took up as cross training outside the skating season, Heiden won both the United States National Road Race Championships and the Road World Championship in 1980.[3] After the Olympics, while a student at the University of Vermont (UVM), she was the NCAA national champion in cross-country skiing in 1983 and an All-American in the same sport, as a walk on in her first year of the sport.[1] In that same year she became the US National Champion in one of the skiing distance events. She graduated from the university in 1983 and was inducted into the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. She has also been inducted in the Speed Skating Hall of Fame.

She suffered a broken wrist and a ruptured spleen when she fell to the ground in 1980 after a second-floor porch railing gave way.

She now lives in California, where she continues cross-country skiing with her family. In the 2010 US Nationals, Heiden placed in the top 10 in two races at the age of 50. She has won the California Gold Rush, Great Race, and won every single race she competed in at the cross-country skiing Master's World Championships in McCall, Idaho. She placed in the top five at the NCAA Western Regionals in 2006 as a guest skier, and achieved a top 20 and two top 15s in the US Supertour in West Yellowstone in 2009.

On November 16, 2013, she was inducted into the US Bicycling Hall of Fame in the "Modern Road & Track Competitor" category.

Heiden's daughter, Joanne Reid, has been a member of the US biathlon national team since 2015 and was an NCAA champion cross-country skier at the University of Colorado Boulder.[4]

Speed skating

[edit]

For most of her skating career Heiden was a junior, but she belonged to the world top. This meant she participated in both junior and regular championships during the same season several times, both with success. This was most obvious in 1979, when she became world allround champion and, three weeks afterwards, world junior allround champion, at both championships winning all four distances. Between those championships, she won silver at the world sprint championship, winning both 1,000 m races.

Much was expected of her the following year at the 1980 Winter Olympics, but an ankle injury kept her from her potential. Despite that, she won a bronze medal in the 3,000 m. Her brother swept the five men's races at the same Olympics.

Heiden is one of only two American women to have become world allround champion, the other being Kit Klein in 1936. Heiden was inducted in the National Speedskating Hall of Fame in 1989. Her brother Eric was inducted the same day.

Medals

[edit]
Beth and Eric Heiden in 1977 in Alkmaar, the Netherlands

An overview of medals won by Heiden at important championships, listing the years :

Championships Gold medal Silver medal Bronze medal
Winter Olympics – – 1980 (3,000 m)
World Allround 1979 1980 –
World Sprint – 1978
1979		 1980
World Junior Allround 1978
1979		 1976
1977		 –

Personal records

[edit]

To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Heiden skated personal records.[1]

Event Result Date Venue WR
500 m 41.78 6 March 1980 Inzell 40.68
1,000 m 1:23.66 21 January 1980 Davos 1:23.46
1,500 m 2:07.87 19 January 1980 Davos 2:07.18
3,000 m 4:32.60 21 January 1980 Davos 4:31.00
5,000 m 8:06.93 18 March 1979 Savalen none

Note that the 5,000 m was suspended as a world record event at the 1955 ISU (International Skating Union) Congress and reinstated at the 1982 ISU Congress.

Heiden has an Adelskalender score of 178.529 points.

See also

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References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Beth Heiden

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Elizabeth Lee "Beth" Heiden Reid (born September 27, 1959) is an American former multi-sport athlete who excelled in , , and , achieving world-class success including an and multiple world championships. Born in , she began her athletic career in high school with tennis, soccer, and track, where she set a national age-group record in the mile. Heiden gained international prominence as the first American woman to win the overall Women's in 1979, dominating all four distances at the event in , . In , Heiden competed in the in , finishing 11th in the 3,000 meters, and returned for the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, where she secured a in the 3,000 meters despite a pre-competition ankle injury, while placing fifth in the 1,000 meters, seventh in the 500 meters, and seventh in the 1,500 meters. She also earned silver medals in the World Allround Championships in 1980 and in the World Sprint Championships in 1978 and 1979. Her personal best times included 41.78 seconds in the 500 meters and 4:32.60 in the 3,000 meters, both set in 1980. Transitioning to cycling after the 1980 Olympics, Heiden won the gold medal in the women's road race at the 1980 , becoming only the second American to claim that title following Audrey McElmury in 1969. She also triumphed in the 1980 Coors Classic, a prestigious multi-stage race, and secured multiple national championships during her five-year professional career. In cross-country skiing, after starting the sport in 1981 at the , she captured the inaugural NCAA Women's Championship in 1983. Heiden, the younger sister of five-time Olympic gold medalist , studied physics at the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the , where she earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics and later a master's in . She was named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Sportswoman of the Year and inducted into the Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2013. Now residing in with her husband and three children, including daughter Joanne Reid, an Olympic biathlete, Heiden works as an engineer at Apple and remains an avid cyclist.

Early life and education

Family background

Elizabeth Lee Heiden was born on September 27, 1959, in . Although one source suggests West Allis as her birthplace, most records confirm Madison as the location. the daughter of Jack Heiden, a prominent orthopedic in Madison, and his wife Nancy Heiden. Jack Heiden actively encouraged outdoor activities in the family, including building a backyard that introduced his children to skating and fostering a culture of physical fitness through pursuits like , biking, and . Beth has an older brother, , born in 1958, who achieved remarkable success as a five-time Olympic gold medalist in at the . The siblings shared a competitive rivalry that propelled their involvement in , with the family's Madison-area home in Shorewood Hills serving as a hub for such activities.

Upbringing and early sports involvement

Beth Heiden grew up in , a city with abundant frozen lakes and parks that facilitated during her childhood. The local environment, including Vilas Park's lagoon and , provided natural ice surfaces for early skating practice, while nearby trails supported and other outdoor activities. This setting, combined with her family's emphasis on , immersed her in an active lifestyle from a young age. Heiden began at age 5, introduced by her older brother on the backyard rink and Madison's outdoor ice. By age 7, she was joining him for extended sessions on the frozen lakes, developing her skills through informal family outings that evolved into structured training. She joined the Madison Speedskating Club, where she honed her technique under local coaches, and the family's pursuits included , which built her foundation for competitive athletics in endurance sports. Eric Heiden's influence was pivotal, as his own success in motivated her to intensify training and aim higher, often joining him for rigorous sessions that included long drives to specialized rinks. At age 16, she was selected for the U.S. Olympic team for the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Games, marking her international debut where she competed in the 3,000 meters event, finishing 11th. This early exposure to elite competition solidified her commitment to the sport.

Academic pursuits

Beth Heiden attended Madison West High School in , where she balanced her academic studies with an intense training regimen in multiple sports, including track, , soccer, and emerging commitments. In 1975, during her first year of high school, she set a national age-group record in the mile. She enrolled at the University of Wisconsin around 1977 as a physics major, but the demands of her international speed skating competitions, including the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, restricted her to part-time enrollment during this period. In 1981, Heiden transferred to the , where she shifted her focus and completed an undergraduate degree in by 1983. While at , she joined the university's team, integrating her professional athletic pursuits with collegiate competition and contributing to the program's success. Following her undergraduate graduation, Heiden later earned a in , though the specific institution and timing reflect her transition from elite athletics to professional and family life.

Speed skating career

Junior achievements

Beth Heiden emerged as a prominent talent in U.S. junior speed skating during the mid-1970s, securing multiple national titles that highlighted her early dominance. She won the National Outdoor Championships in 1974 and 1975 as a junior competitor. At age 16 in 1975, she captured the U.S. Junior All-around title, demonstrating her prowess across various distances. On the international stage, Heiden represented the in four Junior World Allround Championships, earning medals in key events like the 1500m and 3000m. In 1976 at , , she claimed silver in the overall all-around standings. The following year in Inzell, , she won gold in the 1500m (2:20.60) and 3000m (4:58.69), finishing second overall with 185.809 points. By 1978 in Montréal, , she swept all four distances—500m (45.18), 1500m (2:21.60), 1000m (1:29.74), and 3000m (4:47.27)—to take the all-around gold with 185.128 points. She repeated this feat in 1979 at , , winning every distance and the overall title with 177.713 points, underscoring her versatility in both sprint and endurance events. Heiden's early records in shorter distances, such as the 500m and , further illustrated her broad skill set, with times that positioned her as a top junior prospect. From 1977 to 1979, she progressed to the senior national level, winning the U.S. All-around Championships consecutively and bridging her junior successes to elite competition. Her development was supported by a rigorous training regimen, initially guided by her father, Bob Heiden, who coached her through her early years on outdoor lakes and public rinks in . As she advanced, Olympic medalist Dianne Holum took over, implementing a comprehensive program emphasizing dry-land exercises including running, , and cycling to build skating-specific strength. Heiden also participated in summer camps in to enhance endurance.

1980 Olympic performance

At the in , Beth Heiden competed in all four women's events: the 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, and 3,000 m, despite battling a persistent ankle injury sustained during pre-Games training that limited her ability to jog and fully prepare. In the 1,500 m event held on February 14, she finished seventh overall with a time of 2:13.10, which set an Olympic record for non-medalists but fell short of the podium amid her ongoing physical challenges. In the 500 m event on February 15, she placed seventh with a time of 43.18 seconds, impacted by the injury that forced her to favor one ankle and caused swelling in the other. She placed fifth in the 1,000 m on February 17 with a time of 1:27.01. Her most notable performance came in the 3,000 m event on February 20, the final women's distance race, where she overcame the injury's effects to claim the in 4:33.77, finishing just behind gold medalist Björg Eva Jensen of (4:32.13) and silver medalist Sabine Becker of (4:32.79). After crossing the finish line, Heiden broke down in tears, later explaining that the emotion stemmed not from joy but from the intense pressures of the competition and her brother's overshadowing success, underscoring her resilience under adversity. Heiden's bronze contributed to the United States' remarkable dominance in speed skating at the Games, where her brother Eric secured gold medals in all five men's events (500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 5,000 m, and 10,000 m), giving the U.S. a total of six medals in the discipline—five golds and one bronze. The sibling duo drew widespread media attention for their achievements, with coverage emphasizing Beth's determination in securing a medal despite her injury and the contrast to Eric's flawless sweep. Following the Olympics, Heiden announced her retirement from competitive speed skating at the end of the 1980 season, shifting her focus to cycling.

World titles and records

Beth Heiden achieved her most prominent international success at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships held in , , where she won the overall title by securing gold medals in all four distances: the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, and 3000 m. This victory marked her as the first American woman to claim the world allround crown since , amassing a record-low points total of 177.713 in the ISU scoring system. In the World Sprint Championships, Heiden earned silver medals in 1978 and 1979, and a in 1980, demonstrating her versatility across shorter distances. She also captured a in the 1980 World Allround Championships in , , finishing second overall behind East Germany's Karin Enke. Heiden's personal best times underscored her dominance, including 2:07.87 in the 1500 m set in , , on January 19, 1980, and 4:32.60 in the 3000 m achieved there two days later; both established U.S. national records at the time. These performances positioned her as the most successful U.S. women's allaround speed skater in history, with top rankings in the ISU points system that rivaled leading East German competitors like Enke and Soviet skater Natalya Petrusyova.

Cycling career

Transition from skating

Following her bronze medal performance at the , where she competed despite a persistent ankle injury, Beth Heiden retired from competitive , citing the physical toll of the injury and the intense media pressures that had contributed to emotional strain during the Games. Seeking a summer activity for to maintain her fitness without the winter demands of skating, Heiden turned to , a sport she had occasionally used off-season prior to the Olympics. In 1980, while studying physics at the University of Wisconsin, Heiden began structured training to preserve her aerobic conditioning developed through years of . She joined amateur teams in the U.S., where her skating-honed provided a strong foundation for , allowing her to quickly adapt to longer distances and sustained efforts. Her first major competitive outing in the sport came later that year at the U.S. National Road Race Championships, marking her entry into elite-level events. Transitioning from the solitary, linear nature of presented challenges, particularly in mastering group riding tactics and bike handling skills required for dynamic road races. Heiden noted the mental demands of , stating, "In many things happen, you have to think a lot, there are other riders there and it is very exciting," highlighting the shift from individual focus to navigating pelotons and strategic positioning.

Major victories

Beth Heiden's professional cycling career, which spanned from to 1985, reached its zenith in with a series of groundbreaking achievements that established her as a dominant force in women's . That year, she claimed the gold medal in the women's road race at the in , , becoming the second American woman to win the event following Audrey McElmury in 1969. Her victory, achieved in a grueling 53-kilometer race, showcased her exceptional stamina and tactical prowess, drawing widespread acclaim in Europe. This success was bolstered by the endurance foundation she had built through . Earlier in 1980, Heiden secured the U.S. National Road Race Championship, further solidifying her domestic supremacy. A highlight of her season was her overall victory in the inaugural Coors Classic, a challenging nine-stage professional race held in , where she captured six individual stages en route to the general classification win. This performance highlighted her climbing ability and recovery skills in multi-day competition. Following her peak in 1980 and 1981, during which she added wins in international events such as the 1981 Bicycle Hillclimb—a record-setting ascent of the steepest paved road in the United States—Heiden scaled back her racing commitments to pursue higher education, though she continued competing sporadically until 1985.

Retirement from competition

Beth Heiden scaled back from elite competitive after the 1980 season but continued sporadically over a five-year professional career that began as cross-training for . While the 1980 in , , where she secured victory in the women's road race, becoming the second American to claim the title following McElmury in 1969, marked her pinnacle alongside her overall win at the 1980 Coors Classic. She had further notable performances, including the 1981 win, before fully retiring around 1985. Heiden's decision to scale back stemmed from a desire to prioritize her academic pursuits and explore other athletic endeavors, particularly , after transferring to the in 1981. Despite the brevity of her cycling tenure, her contributions were profound; she was honored as Sportswoman of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1980 for her groundbreaking performances on the bike. Post-retirement, Heiden maintained as a recreational activity to support her fitness, but she never returned to professional racing. Her shift away from competitive allowed for a balanced transition into new phases of life, underscoring the intentional closure of a high-impact athletic chapter.

Later life and legacy

Additional sports and coaching

After retiring from elite competition in and , Beth Heiden continued her athletic pursuits in , a sport she took up during her time at the . She transferred to UVM in 1981 specifically to join the women's ski team and, in her first competitive season, earned NCAA All-American honors as part of the team's success. The following year, in 1983, she captured the inaugural NCAA women's individual 7.5 km freestyle championship at the national meet in , marking a remarkable debut in the discipline after just one year of training. This victory also earned her the prestigious NCAA College award as one of the top five student-athletes in the United States. Post-college, Heiden maintained her involvement in through community efforts, including building a 15 km ski trail in , with her husband in the early , where they raised funds and performed the labor themselves to promote local access to the sport. Although she did not pursue a formal career, her legacy in endurance sports has inspired informal mentoring among younger athletes in and communities, where she has shared insights from her Olympic and world championship experiences through local clinics and appearances. Heiden has advocated for greater participation in women's endurance sports, emphasizing benefits and accessibility, drawing from her own transitions between skating, , and .

Family and professional endeavors

Beth Heiden married Russell Reid in 1983. The couple has three children: sons Garrett and Carl, and daughter Joanne. In the , the family relocated to the Palo Alto area of to pursue professional opportunities. As of 2018, Heiden and her husband both worked in tech-related fields at Apple, with Garrett later following suit. The family maintains an active lifestyle, including and together. As of 2018, Heiden resided in the Palo Alto area of and remained involved in community sports activities.

Awards and inductions

Beth Heiden has received numerous accolades recognizing her multi-sport excellence in , , and . In 1980, following her Olympic and world championship performances, she was named Sportswoman of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. She also earned the in 1983, honoring her as one of the nation's top student-athletes while competing in at the . Heiden's contributions to were formally honored with her induction into the National Speedskating Hall of Fame in 1989, the same year as her brother , highlighting their shared legacy as pioneering American skaters. In 1993, she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame for her NCAA championship in and overall athletic achievements during her collegiate career. Her cycling accomplishments earned her a place in the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2013 as a Modern Competitor. Further recognizing her versatile career, Heiden was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, celebrating her as one of the state's most prolific female athletes across multiple disciplines. Olympic histories often feature the Heiden siblings jointly for their combined six medals at the 1980 Lake Placid Games, underscoring their impact on U.S. .

References

  1. https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/beth-heiden
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  5. https://authenticwisconsin.com/beth_heiden.html
  6. https://www.cressfuneralservice.com/obituaries/dr-heiden
  7. https://vault.si.com/vault/1979/02/26/icing-a-family-fortune-already-established-as-world-all-round-champs-eric-heiden-won-still-more-gold-and-kid-sister-beth-took-the-silver-in-the-world-sprint-races-to-add-luster-to-their-glittering-olympic-hopes
  8. https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/02/22/a-pair-of-great-skates
  9. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1980/02/10/the-heidens/5053f11f-4779-4230-aca4-6aa2800cb830/
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  11. https://www.usspeedskating.org/about/hall-of-fame-content/skaters/beth-heiden
  12. https://uvmathletics.com/honors/university-of-vermont-athletic-hall-of-fame/beth-heiden-reid/271
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  21. https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/lake-placid-1980/results/speed-skating/1500m-women
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  23. https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/lake-placid-1980/results/speed-skating/1000m-women
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  29. http://www.speedskatingstats.com/index.php?file=skater&code=1959092701
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  31. https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-culture/the-photo-vault-beth-heiden-rainbow-rider/
  32. http://www.indyspeed.org/cycling/Benefits_of_Speedskating_for_Cyclists.pdf
  33. https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/world-championship-we/1980/result
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  35. https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/heiden-reid-to-take-a-bow-for-her-cycling-accomplishments/article_33c11148-c728-5739-828a-9e1681a250e5.html
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  37. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13621136/
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  39. https://www.npr.org/2018/02/15/586172088/for-some-competing-at-the-olympics-runs-in-the-family
  40. https://issuu.com/teamusa.alumni.newsletters/docs/0401theolympian_2008jan-feb
  41. https://www.lakeplacidnews.com/opinion/columns/2016/02/18/olympic-history-heidens-and-the-quest-for-speed/
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