Object Details
maker
Descente
Descente
Description (Brief)
In the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, Eric Heiden (b. 1958 in Madison, Wisconsin) brought home an unprecedented five golds for the United States, setting three Olympic records and two world records in what he termed "The Big Whoopee." Heiden's superior skill and determination inspired a generation of young American skaters. Until Heiden's sweep in 1980, the greatest Olympic speed skaters had been either Norwegian or Dutch. The gold speed skins Eric Heiden wore when he skated to five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Olympics were manufactured by Descente. The skins bore the name of the company on the front of the cap, but Heiden blacked out the name when the company refused to sponsor him.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Eric Heiden, through Arthur C. Kaminsky
Date made
1980
ID Number
1982.0469.01
accession number
1982.0469
catalog number
1982.0469.01
Object Name
skins, speed skating
skins, olympics
Physical Description
nylon (overall material)
spandex (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 62 in x 15 in; 157.48 cm x 38.1 cm
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Data Source
National Museum of American History
level of sport
Olympics
name of sport
Speed Skating
level of sport
Amateur
web subject
Sports
related event
Olympic Winter Games: Lake Placid, 1980
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_748902