Question 1

True or false: Eric Heiden later earned a medical degree and became an orthopedic surgeon for U.S. Olympic teams.

Accepted Answer

True. He attended Stanford Medical School and served as team doctor for multiple Olympic Games.

Question 2

True or false: Heiden set world records in all five events he won at the 1980 Olympics.

Accepted Answer

False. He set Olympic records, but only two were world records (5000m and 10,000m); the others were close.

Question 3

True or false: Eric Heiden never competed in the Olympics after 1980 because he turned professional.

Accepted Answer

False. He retired from speed skating entirely after 1980, but amateur rules weren't the reason—he just moved on.

Question 4

True or false: Eric Heiden won five individual gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics in speed skating.

Accepted Answer

True. He swept all five men's speed skating events from 500m to 10,000m, setting Olympic records in each.

Question 5

True or false: Heiden's 500m gold medal at the 1980 Olympics was his most surprising victory.

Accepted Answer

False. He was favored in longer distances; the 500m was unexpected as he wasn't a sprinter—but he still won.

Question 6

True or false: After retiring from skating, Heiden became a professional cyclist and raced in the Tour de France.

Accepted Answer

True. He switched to cycling, competed professionally, and even finished 131st in the 1986 Tour de France.

Question 7

True or false: Heiden's sister, Beth Heiden, also won an Olympic gold medal in speed skating.

Accepted Answer

True. Beth won a bronze in 1980 and was a world champion cyclist, but never an Olympic gold.

Question 8

True or false: Eric Heiden never lost a speed skating race at any distance during his entire career.

Accepted Answer

False. He lost several races early on, including at the 1977 World Championships, before his dominant peak.

Eric Heiden Trivia Questions