It takes a lot to make someone who won five gold medals in one Olympics feel ashamed.
But Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco and friends managed.
"I think being an athlete myself . . . I'm almost ashamed I was a successful athlete," said former speed skater Eric Heiden. "Because now I look at what others are doing and now whenever you're successful, people look at you a little different: What did you do?"
Twenty-six years ago, as one of the world's most celebrated athletes, Heiden was known for his massive thighs and an unparalleled work ethic. Today he would be a suspect.
"So I sort of hold that against them," continued Heiden.
Heiden held a press conference Wednesday at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray (TOSH), afterward talking with reporters individually. The occasion was his relocation to Utah. The former world record holder in various speed skating events — and hero of the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid — is now an orthopedic surgeon. He has been living in Sacramento, where he helped build the sports medicine program at the University of California-Davis. He was also a doctor for the Sacramento Kings and Monarchs.
But when the chance to work with elite winter athletes and help build TOSH arose, he couldn't resist. All it took was convincing his wife, Karen (an orthopedic hand surgeon), and business partner Dr. Massimo Testa to come, too. That took a year. Heiden had been to Salt Lake several times, including the 2002 Olympics, and loved it.
"We're pleased as punch to be here," he said.
Just like that, Utah became home to 83 percent of America's gold from the 13th Winter Olympiad.
When Heiden arrived at Lake Placid a quarter-century ago, nobody outside the speed skating community knew him. But soon he was one of the most famous people on earth. He didn't just win the Olympics, he kidnapped them, claiming the 500-, 1,000-, 1,500-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter races. So remarkable was his performance that 2002 gold medal skater Casey FitzRandolph gushed years later, "Every race. That's like Maurice Greene or Michael Johnson lacing 'em up the next day to go out and WIN the Olympic marathon. It just doesn't happen."
FitzRandolph added, "Two things stick out . . . first, normal people need something called energy to engage in an activity requiring 100 percent effort for 15 minutes. Second, normal people need to warm up before they win gold medals."
In spite of engineering one of the greatest feats in sports history, Heiden might have been underappreciated. That's because the only other gold medal won by America in 1980 was in hockey. It became known as the "Miracle on Ice."
Which was fine with Heiden.
He once said if he wanted fame, he'd have played hockey.
Heiden's Wednesday press conference, though, was mostly about him. It even included a welcome from Mother Nature. It was held in a treatment and testing area, separated from patients by a black curtain. As he was speaking to clinic staffers and media, a cloudburst began drumming on the metal roof, nearly drowning out what he was saying.
"They told me they have 300 days of sunshine here . . . " he joked.
"That's applause," TOSH spokesman Richard Smith quickly replied.
Fair enough. It isn't every day a name synonymous with achievement joins your hospital. At least figuratively, Heiden was applauding back.
Nevertheless, that didn't mean there weren't things that dismayed him. For instance . . .
"Guys like Barry Bonds . . . " he said after the press conference. "When you look at baseball, I hope they (baseball officials) really sort of ostracize this guy and make him look like somebody you don't want to be, as a young kid."
Heiden said steroid suspicions even follow him, to some extent, thanks to cheaters in sports today.
"I worked hard and pride myself that I didn't take any shortcuts," he said. "I can look myself in the eye and feel very positive about what I did. But I feel let down by these guys because people look at me differently because of what these guys have done."
Even by misguided association, steroids can make great moments look cheap.
E-mail: rock@desnews.com