Fans Save Last Song for Blair : Speedskating: Olympic champion, competing for final time on American ice, wins four races and her third world sprint title.

They were playing Bonnie Blair’s songs Sunday at the Pettit National Ice Center.

Thanks to the Blair Bunch, the cheering section that follows her all over the world, she is serenaded with a rousing rendition of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” at every speedskating competition. Thanks to Blair, the national anthem also is a regular feature--during the medal ceremonies.

To a list of accomplishments that includes five Olympic gold medals and a world record, Blair on Sunday added her second successive world sprint title and third of her career. Skating for the last time on American ice, Blair kicked off the final month of her career by winning all four races, as she did in triumphing a year ago.

“At the beginning of the season, my main objective was to come here and be competitive and be in the top three, and I did that,” said Blair, who won her first world sprint championship in 1989. “To set two track records (Saturday) put icing on the cake.”

Blair said she felt more relieved than sentimental as she competed for the last time in her adopted hometown. Her mother, Eleanor, had feared she would dissolve into tears, but she stayed calm.

“I just said to myself, ‘This isn’t the end,’ ” Eleanor said. “She’s got a few ‘Star-Spangled Banners’ left to go.”

Blair will have a few more chances to hear her favorite songs. Before retiring, she will compete at Inzell, Germany; Hamar, Norway; and in the season finale in Calgary, Canada, tracks she likes for their speed and atmosphere. She set the world record of 38.69 seconds in the 500 at Calgary a week ago, and she’s probably capable of setting another record before her swan song.

“I won’t be happy to see her go. I think she brings out the best in all of us,” said Susan Auch of Canada, who defeated Blair in the 500 last week but couldn’t challenge her here and finished sixth overall. “I think everybody is skating so much faster because she’s skating so much faster.”

Although her times Sunday didn’t match her opening-day efforts, Blair still was satisfied with her weekend. She was timed in 39.54 seconds in Sunday’s 500, compared with 39.13 Saturday; her time in Sunday’s 1,000 was 1:19.52, nine-hundredths of a second off her previous day’s time.

“I had four great races,” she said. “I was hoping I could have gone a little bit faster in the 500 (Sunday). If I could have been paired with Susan Auch I could have been a little faster down the 100. My opener was 10.6, which is an OK opener, but it might have been faster.

“The hard part of the season is done. Your training is done and now you just go out and skate.”

Oksana Ravilova of Russia passed Franziska Schenk of Germany for second overall when she finished second in Sunday’s 1,000 with a time of 1:20.61. Christine Witty of West Allis, Wis., who was fourth after Saturday’s races, dropped to seventh overall but considered her first senior-level sprint championships memorable because she was paired with Blair in the 1,000, Blair’s final race.

As Blair skated her cooldown lap, Witty spontaneously glided up and raised Blair’s arm in the air in a victory salute. Their joined hands formed a human arch until fatigue brought their arms to rest on each other’s shoulders.

“She’s pretty much been an idol of mine,” said Witty, who recalled getting Blair’s autograph when she was a star-struck 12-year-old. “She’s inspired me a lot over the years and she still inspires me today.”

Kim Yoon-Man of Korea, the silver medalist in the 1,000 at the 1992 Olympics, won the men’s title over Shimizu Hiroyasu and Miyabe Yasunori of Japan. The top American finisher was David Cruikshank, in 21st.

For Blair, things couldn’t have gone better. “The atmosphere was fantastic,” she said. “The fans were great and they were yelling for everybody, not just the Americans. . . . They were at their best and I hope I was at my best.”