Eric Heiden – Pretty Incredible Athlete and Person

NBC Sports did an article and listed Eric Heiden as the 9th greatest Winter Olympian. I thought it was bullshit. Then there was a poll they put out there giving us the chance to vote for the greatest Winter Olympian. I thought it was a no-brainer, but polls are polls. I don’t know how that turned out, but it should not have been a contest. The answer is Eric Heiden, hands down. By miles. Even, Bonnie Blair, who is in the video below, and was listed as the greatest Winter Olympian, by NBC, picks Eric.

Anyway, Yahoo Sports did a little thing on Eric. The guy is so humble and grounded. Anyway, if you have a few extra minutes, watch the video below. There is a cameo appearance of a photo, that Trudi took, of me and Eric towards the end. Hope you all get a chance to watch as much of the Olympic Games as you can fit in.

I’m not sure where this photo was taken. It must have been early when the 7-11 guys were riding Schwinn bikes. Man, does that bike look old.

11 thoughts on “Eric Heiden – Pretty Incredible Athlete and Person”

Euro February 7, 2014 at 12:14 pm

Heidien is a class act all the way. I’ve never heard anyone speak ill of him. Wow, Eruzione sure looks like he got old and fat, didn’t he??

Bob February 7, 2014 at 12:57 pm

I would say there are some good “genes” in that family. His sister Beth made her mark in cycling and X-C skiing back in the day as well. I remember competing in the Crash B Sprints Indoor Rowing Championships about 13 years ago, and while looking over the results a week later, I noticed Eric Heiden’s father was first in his age group.
I stumbled across a YouTube video a few weeks ago, somebody interviewing Beth Heiden at home recently. She and her husband have about 9-10 bikes between them, and she still looked INCREDIBLY fit.
The trait I admired most in my father was modesty, this family exemplfies that!

VCScribe February 7, 2014 at 1:21 pm

That bike doesn’t look nearly as old as that get-up the dude holding the camera is rocking . . .

Mary Holum Maier February 7, 2014 at 3:16 pm

The last time I checked, Eric was in 2nd in the poll just ahead of my sister Dianne who was his personl coach & on 5 Olympic teams, 2 as a speedskater winning 4 medals (1G, 2S, 1 B), and 3x as team coach. She was also chosen to carry the American flag voted by the entire team. She personally coached several other Olympians includng her daughter Kirstin, a Jr. World champion, as well as Beth Heiden and Connie Carpenter, mother ofTyler Phinney.
I think Eric & Dianne Holum should rank 1st & 2nd!

Rich W. February 7, 2014 at 3:27 pm

The NBC article lists the athletes in alphabetical order. In the actual poll, he’s #2.

Randy February 7, 2014 at 5:05 pm

I think that Beth is still racing Nordic or something like that. She had a pretty good year in ’80 too.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3797161465118&set=o.510787515703475&type=3&theater

Ken February 8, 2014 at 7:34 am

I feel like that picture of Eric on the pavement is from Boston. That’s most likely the Boston Lowenbrau Criterium, summer of 1981. That was the first year for 7-Eleven’s team (I think Eric rode for AMF the previous year), and that was the year they used Paramounts, later going to Murrays and Huffys made by Ben Serotta. My best guess.