Connie Paraskevin Explained
Connie Paraskevin |
Fullname: | Constance Anne Paraskevin |
Birth Date: | 4 July 1961 |
Birth Place: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Height: | 1.60 m |
Weight: | 55 kg |
Discipline: | Track |
Role: | Rider |
Show-Medals: | yes |
Constance Anne Paraskevin, known as Connie (married name Paraskevin-Young; born July 4, 1961) is a retired American professional track cyclist and speed skater. She is a four times sprint world champion, ten times national sprint champion and an Olympic bronze medalist.[1]
Paraskevin began skating at the age of ten, she finished third at two 500m competitions at the world sprint speed skating championships in 1978 but did not medal.[2] At the age of 19, she was a member of the US team at the 1980 Winter Olympics although she did not compete. Four years later she competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Paraskevin campaigned to have the women's sprint event included in the 1988 Summer Olympics before going on to win a bronze medal in the event in Seoul. She went on to compete at a further two Summer Olympics before retiring at the end of 1996.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, she is the former wife of the Olympic cyclist Roger Young. Paraskevin also coached the speed skater Bonnie Blair when she briefly dabbled in track cycling.[3] She is now the founder/director of the Connie Cycling Foundation.
Palmarès
- 1975
1st Intermediate Girls, US National Track Championships
- 1976
1st Intermediate Girls, US National Track Championships
- 1977
1st Junior Women, US National Track Championships
- 1978
1st Junior Women, US National Track Championships
- 1979
2nd Junior Women, US National Track Championships
- 1981
1st US National Criterium Championships
2nd Sprint, US National Track Championships
- 1982
1st Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
- 1983
1st Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
- 1984
1st Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2nd GP d'Osaka, Japan
- 1985
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships - World Record 200 m - 11.393
2nd Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 1986
3rd Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 1987
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
1st Sprint, Pan American Games
3rd Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 1988
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
3rd Sprint, Olympic Games
- 1989
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
1st Sprint, Sundance Grand Prix, USA
3rd Sprint, World Invitational, USA
- 1990
1st Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1st Sprint, ABC Olympic Cup, USA
1st Sprint, Goodwill Games, USA
Velo News Oscars - U.S. Female Cyclist of the year.
- 1991
1st Sprint, Pre Olympic Track event, Spain
3rd Sprint, UCI Track Cycling World Championships
3rd Sprint, G.P. De Paris, France
- 1992
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
- 1993
3rd UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics, Copenhagen
3rd Sprint, US National Track Championships
- 1994
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
- 1995
1st Sprint, US National Track Championships
2nd Sprint, Pan American Games, Argentina
- 1996
1st Sprint, US National Track ChampionshipsNotes and References
- Connie Paraskevin . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418033639/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/connie-paraskevin-young-1.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . 10 July 2016.
- Web site: World Sprint Speed Skating Championships 1977/1978. ISU. 30 August 2016.
- Web site: SPORTS WORLD SPECIALS: CYCLING; A Smooth-as-Ice Switch. New York Times. 5 June 1989.