Connie Paraskevin Young was born on July 4, 1961 at Detroit Michigan. Connie competed successfully for over two decades on the track, and was also a speed skating champion like Twigg and Novara. Connie is a 10 time national women's match sprint champion who retired after the 1996 Olympic Games. Since Connie medalled in the 1991 world championships at Stuttgart Germany, no America women won a medal in the match sprint for ten years until the worlds in 2001 when Tammy Thomas took silver at Antwerpen Belgium.
Connie Young
Olympic Match Sprint Trials
Blaine Minnesota - 1992
Connie was also a four time women's sprint world champion and always in the top three in the world for over ten years. She was a five time Olympian and she competed in both the winter and summer games and took speed skating gold in 1982, 83, 84. Connie is also a world record holder in the cycling 200 meters track events.
Connie was a member of the U.S. Olympic cycling team in 1988, 92 and 96. As a bronze medallist, Connie was the only American to claim a cycling medal at the 1988 Olympic Games, and she won the only gold medal at the 1990 World Track Championships in Maebashi Japan.
Connie Paraskevin became a champion cyclist in 1973, when at age 12 she won the United States Junior National Track Championships. A nagging neck injury plagued her in her twenties and she lived with pain throughout her career still managing to win four gold medals.
Connie family were present in her last Olympic bid at the Atlanta games in 1996 and was a nice way to wrap up her career, not so much with medals, but with family present as she credits her family’s support with much of her athletic success. Connie Married her coach Roger Young, brother of Sheila Young who was also an accomplished U.S. Olympic cyclist. She now resides in Corona del Mar, California.
During her competitive years Connie was known as a tenacious fighter in addition to being highly motivated and focused. Her accomplishments in cycling are matched by her unselfish desire to give back to the community. Connie was not just a gutsy young girl with super legs who became a five time Olympian but she had a strong drive that took her to the top for over two decades.
Connie competed against the men sometimes when there wasn't enough woman. It's something that a number of great women cyclists have done in the past to ratchet up their training. She lobbied to add woman's sprint cycling to the 1988 Olympics, which she in turn took the bronze medal at Seoul Korea.
Connie overcame health obstacles and injuries to her hands, knees and ankles. She endured severe debilitating headaches, gutting it out continually achieving her best, becoming one of the greatest track stars that ever lived. A fierce competitive racer, she had compassion and encouraged peers and competitors alike to achieve their best. As a multi sport athlete, she crossed trained and brings a wealth of years and experience to the table as both a mentor and peer, in training camps and seminars nationwide.
As a post Olympic competitor, Connie shifted gears into becoming a marketing agent. Connie does sports marketing promotions and consulting as well as children’s clinics and charity events. Connie served as a member of the Athletes Council of the National Advisory Board 1994-1999. A top performer both on and off the track, Connie is an accomplished guest speaker and spokeswoman and has worked with companies like AT&T, Bausch & Lomb, IBM, Jeep, PowerBar and many more.
She attracted major sponsors and launched marketing campaigns to introduce her sport to hundreds of thousands of people across the nation. As a speaker, Connie is a mentor, bringing her expertise and enthusiasm to others in an inspiring and interactive way. Using her experience and success as a five-time Olympian, she shares her talent, coaching audiences on top performance and personal achievement. Her clear, honest, passion is contagious.
"We all have it in us, the ability to achieve like an Olympian, she states, You must make a commitment and move toward your goals each day."
Connie took part in the 100th birthday of the UCI on April 12, 2000 by riding from Paris to Lausanne Switzerland along with a bevy of other famous world class professionals. Connie was cyclist of the year and took the Sullivan award in 1988. She was Velo News North American female cyclist of the Year in 1990, and inducted into the Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2006 she was elected vice president of the U.S. Olympic Alumni Association as well.
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1975 - 1st place in National Track Championships, USA - Intermediate Girls.
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Links to articles about Connie Paraskevin Young.
Videos - 
Connie Young Speaking
Connie Young in Action on the Track
Connie Young - 1990 World Championships
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Country: USA
 Connie Young Olympic Match Sprint Trials Blaine Minnesota - 1992
1st - 3rd Expand
July 30-August 2, 1975 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place overall (Intermediate Girls), Northbrook Illinois.
August 3-4, 1976 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place overall (Intermediate Girls), Northbrook Illinois.
August 2-6, 1977 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place overall (Junior Women), Marymoor Velodrome, Redmond Washington.
August 1-5, 1978 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place overall (Junior Women), Kenosha Wisconsin.
August 7-12, 1979 - National Track Championships, USA - 2nd place overall (Junior Women), Northbrook Illinois.
August 11-16, 1981 - National Track Championships, USA - 2nd in match sprint (200 Meters), Trexlertown Pennsylvania. August 22-23, 1981 - USCF Criterium Championships, USA - 1st place, Lima Ohio.
1982 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Kenosha Washington. 1982 - World Track Championships, England - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Leicester.
1983 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Carson California. 1983 - World Track Championships, Switzerland - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Zurich.
May 1984 - GP d'Osaka, Japan - 2nd place. August 28-29, 1984 - World Track Championships, Spain - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Barcelona.
1985 - National Track Championships, USA - (200 Meters), Indianapolis Indiana. June 7, 1985 - National Track Championships, USA - World Record - (200 Meters - 11.393), Colorado Springs. 1985 - World Track Championships, Italy - 2nd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Bassano de Grappa.
August 27-30, 1986 - World Track Championships, USA - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Colorado Springs.
August 9, 1987 - Pam American Games, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Indianapolis Indiana. 1987 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Trexlertown Pennsylvania. August 25-26, 1987 - World Track Championships, Austria - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters) (Vélodrome "Ferry Dusika"), Vienna.
1988 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Houston Texas. September 21-24, 1988 - Olympic Games, Korea - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Seoul.
April 20-22, 1989 - Sundance Grand Prix, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Houston Velodrome. 1989 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Redmond Washington. October 6-8, 1989 - World Invitational, USA - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Los Angeles, California.
June 24, 1990 - ABC Olympic Cup, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Trexlertown Pennsylvania. June 28-29, 1990 - Goodwill Games, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Seattle Washington. August 20-24, 1990 - World Track Championships, Japan - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Maebashi. 1990 - Velo News Oscars - U.S. Female Cyclist of the year.
September 19-21, 1991 - Pre Olympics (Track), Spain - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters). 1991 - World Track Championships, Germany - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Stuttgart. June 15, 1991 - G.P. De Paris, France - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters).
June 24-28, 1992 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Blaine Minnesota.
May 14-16, 1993 - World Cup (Track), Denmark - 3rd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Copenhagen. June 23-27, 1993 - National Track Championships, USA - 3rd place match sprint (200 Meters), Major Taylor Velodrome, Indianapolis Indiana.
July 10-14, 1994 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Indianapolis Indiana.
March 18, 1995 - Pan American Games, Argentina - 2nd place in match sprint (200 Meters), Mar Del Plata. August 8-12, 1995 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place sprint finals, Major Taylor Velodrome, Indianapolis Indiana. September 26, 1995 - World Track Championships, World Record - (200 Meters - 11.064), Bogota Columbia.
June 1996 - National Track Championships - 1st place in match sprint (200 Meters), Trexlertown Pennsylvania.
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