Eric Flaim

Eric Joseph Flaim (born 9 March 1967 in Pembroke, Massachusetts, United States) is a former US speed skater.

Biography

Eric Flaim started in short track speed skating, but then, like many short track speed skaters before and after him, switched to long track speed skating. As a junior, he did not stand out, not even finishing within the top 20 at the two Junior World Allround Championships he competed in. As a senior, he participated in his first World Allround Championships in 1987 in Heerenveen. He finished 17th, meaning he had failed to qualify for the final distance (the 10,000 m) by just one position.

The next year (1988), Flaim had his best season. Before a home crowd, he won bronze at the World Sprint Championships. Two weeks later, at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Flaim started in the first pair on the 1,500 m and immediately broke Igor Zhelezovski's world record. This would not be the new world record, though, because two pairs later, East German skater André Hoffmann set an even faster time. Flaim's time, however, would remain the second fastest 1,500 m time and so he earned Olympic silver. Another two weeks later, in Medeo, he became World Allround Champion.

In 1989, Flaim won the 1,000 m World Cup, a first place shared with Austrian skater Michael Hadschieff. Flaim would never match his 1988 results again, though. He underwent knee surgery in 1990 and had several illnesses afterwards. In 1992, he seemed to be on his way to a comeback when he finished first in one of the eight 1,000 m races to determine the 1,000 m World Cup winner (a World Cup in which he eventually finished 5th), but during the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, after a 6th place in the 5,000 m, a case of food-poisoning before his 1,500 m race ruined his chances for the rest of the Olympics. After disappointing results at the World Sprint Championships and World Allround Championships that same year, Flaim withdrew from long track speed skating and returned to short track speed skating.

At the 1994 Winter Olympics, he won his second Olympic silver medal – this time in short track skating – as part of the United States team in the 5,000 m relay. This made him the first skater to win Olympic medals in two different "winter" disciplines (though not the first "skater" to win Olympic medals in two different "disciplines" – that honour goes to Christa Rothenburger). Flaim participated in his fourth and last Olympics during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

Personal records

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. Flaim's Adelskalender score is 157.340 points.

References

* Eng, Trond. "All Time International Championships, Complete Results: 1889 - 2002". Askim, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2002.
* Teigen, Magne. "Komplette Resultater Internasjonale Mesterskap 1889 - 1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior, allround/sprint". Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989.

External links

* [http://www.skateresults.com/skater/show/267 Eric Flaim at SkateResults.com]
* [http://www.skatebase.com Personal records from "The Skatebase"]