Kevin Young

Kevin Young has gone from the top of the world all the way to Alpharetta, Georgia. One suspects he would prefer it to be called a lateral move. Not down-and-out, nor brainwashed by a religious cult, the World Record-holder and reigning gold medalist at the 400-meter hurdles is amused by the Kevin Young rumors that trickle back to him.

"People are going to talk," he says.

The road to Alpharetta started long ago. Young, born and raised in Los Angeles, ran a decent 37.54 for the 300 hurdles in high school. Plenty of preps ran faster. Young's time didn't come close to making the all-time list. But at UCLA, success happened for Young. He ran 51.09 for the hurdles around a full lap as a frosh, and those near him insisted more was there. He proved it as a sophomore, speeding 48.77 and ranking No. 10 in the world.

The lanky Young, nicknamed "Spiderman" by his Bruin teammates, became a mainstay of the powerful UCLA sprint/hurdles crew, coached by assistant John Smith. By his senior year Young developed into the stuff of legend. He won the NCAA for the second time. He blistered a 44.4 leg on the winning relay, the first collegiate foursome to break the historic 3-minute barrier (2:59.91). At the Olympic Trials, he improved to 47.72 to grab a ticket to the Seoul Games. There he finished 4th, 0.38 behind bronze medalist Edwin Moses.

Still coached by Smith, Young didn't lose his stride pattern in the transition to post-collegiate success. In 1989, he took his first No. 1 world ranking. Decent campaigns in the next two years saw him establish himself as a contender for the gold in Barcelona.

The 1992 version of Kevin Young was a step above anything the event had ever seen. Flawless, fast and unbeatable, he won all 17 of his races and dipped under the 48-second barrier eight times, a record in itself. The Barcelona Games saw him produce the greatest record of all. He ran a 46.78 that shattered the World Record of 47.02 held by Edwin Moses for nine years.

Those looking to see a successful Young run half-heartedly the next year were disappointed. He won 11 of 14 races, topped by a 47.18 that claimed the gold at the World Championships. Had another Moses-like dynasty begun?

The next year answered that question with a flat, "No." Young raced the hurdles just twice in 1994. After opening up with a 47.25 for the flat 400, the best he could do with barriers was a 49.70 for 2nd at the New York Games. He failed to make it out of his semi at the USA Championships, and called it quits for the year.

He explained that the earthquake that had hit Los Angeles in January of that year, damaging his townhouse, had him questioning his place in the city. He had lived and breathed track during his entire adult life in L.A., and felt he had to get out or risk suffocating. He bought a farm in Alpharetta, Georgia, and disappeared from the public eye.

Young calls his migration something that "I need to do personally. While I was out of track it gave me the reflection that track and field isn't something that you can just take lightly. There is going to be a point in time where I won't be able to run, period. I haven't got to that point yet, but this has given me a good chance to reflect on what it would be like."

He is training again, after surgery on his left knee in September. In the winter, he made plans to return to L.A. temporarily, and work with new coach Bob Kersee to prepare for Atlanta. "I want to make the team again and compete for my home city, Atlanta," he says. "I want to win the gold medal. I just want to get back in there and get in the shape that I had in the past and break records."

But this will be a different Kevin Young, one with a different set of priorities. "If I put all my eggs in one basket and depend on track, that's definitely not one thing I'd like to do," he says. He has started an athletic apparel company called "Up & Over." He explains, "I'm sick and tired of being 6-4/180, walking around with basketball sweatshirts on. I want something that's going to directly correlate with what I do professionally, and that's to run track. I want people to know that in real life.

"It's not just apparel, its going to be a subsistence organization. We're going to help out and cater to the potential future Olympians of the U.S. The years are so few and far between when athletes have the kind of support we need like the other sports in America. We just really get pushed to the side. I'm going to do what I need to do personally to improve the image of track and field."

More than anything else, Young wants people to know one thing about the man from Alpharetta: "I'm ready for the world."

Career Stats

Born September 16, 1966, in Los Angeles, Ca
6-4/1.93m	180/81kg
Jordan HS (Los Angeles, Ca) '84
UCLA '88
Up & Over
PRs (outdoor):
400--45.11 '92 (44.4 relay '88)
110H--13.65 '92
400H--46.78 '92 (WR)
LJ--25-4.5/7.73 '86
Major Meets (400H):
1986	2)NCAA
1986	3)USA
1987	1)NCAA
1987	4)USA
1987	2)Pan-Am Games
1988	1)NCAA
1988	3)Olympic Trials
1988	4)Olympic Games
1990	2)USA
1991	2)USA
1991	4)World Championships
1992	1)Olympic Trials
1992	1)Olympic Games
1992	1)GP Final
1992	1)World Cup
1993	1)USA
1993	1)World Championships
1994	5s)USA
1996	5s)Olympic Trials
Major Relays:
1986	2)NCAA 4 x 400 [2]
1987	1)NCAA 4 x 400 [2]
1988	1)NCAA 4 x 400 [2]