Helmet used by a Member of the U.S. Hockey Team during the 1980 Winter Olympics
date: label: date made
content: 1980
name: label: associated institution
content: U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Blue plastic ice hockey helmet lined with synthetic foam with a chin strap attached to two plastic loops on each side, with a snap closing. Worn by one of the players on the U. S. hockey team during the 1980 Winter Olympics when the United States defeated Russia to advance to the gold medal round. While it was the win against Finland that clinched the gold medal, the defeat of the Soviet team in the semifinals — known as the "miracle on ice" — captured the hearts and imaginations of Americans during a time of Cold War tensions.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The 1980 Winter Olympics, also known as the Games of the XIII Olympiad were held in Lake Placid, New York with 37 countries, 840 men and 232 women athletes participating. These Games are famous for the “Miracle on Ice” hockey team which consisted of American college hockey players competing against the more experienced and professional Russian team amongst the backdrop of the cold war. The Americans beat the Russians to move into the medal round beating Finland for the Gold but it was the game where they beat Russia which is most remembered and where announcer Al Michaels asked all American if they believed in miracles. US Speed skater Eric Heiden dominated the speed skating event winning gold in all five events, the only athlete in the Winter games to do so. The Soviet Union won the medal count with 22 with the United States coming in third with 12 medals.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: name of sport
content: Ice Hockey
label: level of sport
content: Amateur
label: web subject
content: Sports
label: level of sport
content: Olympics
label: related event
content: Olympic Winter Games: Lake Placid, 1980
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Sports Illustrated
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1984.0940.03
label: accession number
content: 1984.0940
label: catalog number
content: 1984.0940.03
objectType: label: Object Name
content: helmet, hockey
label: Object Name
content: hockey helmet, olympics
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: foam (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 3/4 in x 7 1/4 in x 7 3/4 in; 24.765 cm x 18.415 cm x 19.685 cm