Leah Poulos

Leah Jean Poulos ( born October 5, 1951 in Berwyn, Illinois, United States) is a former American speed skater.

Life

Leah Poulos was particularly successful in the sprint and won in 1970 at the Sprint World Championships, a silver medal in the 500 meters. At the Olympic Winter Games in 1972 she performed at over 1500 and 3000 meters, but not to win a medal. In 1974, she was then sprint world champion.

At the Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck in 1976, she came over 1500 meters to 6th place, about 500 meters to 4th place and then won over 1000 meters silver medal. In the sprint world championships in the same year they still then won a silver medal behind Sheila Young. The following year she was at the same event again on the 2nd place, this time behind Sylvia Burka. In the same year she married the U.S. runner Peter Mueller and went (temporarily) from active competition. The couple divorced later. But in 1979 came Poulos -Mueller, as she was now, again, and was immediately sprint world champion. In 1980 it was again runner-up world champion and then the next Winter Olympics in Lake Placid it was over 500 meters and 1000 meters again win a silver medal.