In this, Friesinger became the fifth skater in history to be a World Champion in both Allround and Sprint disciplines (along with Sylvia Burka, CAN (1976 and 1977); Eric Heiden, U.S. (1977 and 1977); Natalya Petrusyova, URS (1980 and 1982); and Karin Kania-Enke, GDR (1980 and 1982)).
He became World Allround Champion by winning all 4 distances, a feat that nobody had performed since Ivar Ballangrud 40 years earlier, and which only Eric Heiden has repeated since (in 1979).
His players "explored every nook and cranny" of the rink where the USA Hockey team had won the Olympic gold medal in 1980 and played a pickup game on the speedskating oval where Eric Heiden won five gold medals.
This made him the first American to win the 500 m since fellow Madison native Eric Heiden won the event in 1980.
She was also selected by President George W. Bush to be part of the U.S. Delegation for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin Italy along with other former Olympians: Dorothy Hamill, Eric Heiden, Kerri Strug, and Herschel Walker.
Her coach suggested she take up speed skating, which she did, swayed by watching Eric and Beth Heiden in the world championships in her home town of Milwaukee.
The following year, she began her career as a coach, helping put a 14-year-old Eric Heiden on the road to the 1980 Winter Olympics, where he won five gold medals.
Flaim was number one on the Adelskalender, the all-time allround speed skating ranking, from 17 February 1988 to 21 March 1992 – a total of 1494 days, which is almost exactly equal to Eric Heiden's reign length of 1495 days.
Hilbert van der Duim became World Allround Champion in 1980, being the first skater in four years to beat Eric Heiden in international competition.
In each of those three years, he became World Allround Champion, making him one of only five male skaters to have won this title in three consecutive years – the other four being Oscar Mathisen (1912–1914), Ard Schenk (1970–1972), Eric Heiden (1977–1979), and Sven Kramer (2007–2010).
During the 1980 Olympics competition, Eric Heiden won five gold medals and set a world record in the 10,000-meter event, with a score of 14.28,13—the only world record to have been achieved at the rink.
In 1980, Dutch skater Hilbert van der Duim was the first man in four years to beat Eric Heiden in the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men.
At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, Stenshjemmet won silver on the 1500 m and on the 5000 m, both behind Eric Heiden.
When establishing his two most recent Danish records on the 500-m and 1500-m at the Calgary races 10–11 March 2007, Sundberg passed the five-time 1980 Olympic gold winner Eric Heiden on the Adelskalenderen.
Kleine participated again in the Winter Olympics of Lake Placid (1980), winning Olympic silver on the 10,000 m behind Eric Heiden.
The skating stadium is the highest located skating venue in Norway, and saw two speed skating world records set by Eric Heiden, a world record in 1,000 m in 1978, and a world record in 3,000 m speedskating in 1979.
Only Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz have ever won more golds in a single Games, and only Phelps and Eric Heiden have won as many individual gold medals (five) at a single Games.
As the defending 500 m Olympic Champion and world record holder, he won silver at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, being beaten by Eric Heiden.
Eric Clapton | Eric Heiden | Eric | Eric Maschwitz | Eric Idle | Eric Burdon | Eric Flint | Eric Roberts | Eric Bogosian | Eric Hobsbawm | Eric Church | Eric S. Raymond | Eric Newby | Eric Massa | Eric Fischl | Eric Gill | Eric Stoltz | Eric Martsolf | Eric Schmidt | Eric McFadden | Eric Marienthal | Eric Lindros | Eric Cantor | Eric Cantona | Eric Bristow | Eric Zimmerman | Eric Whitacre | Eric Tsang | Eric Sheppard | Eric Carle |