Larry Young - Race Walking (Inducted 2002)

Born Feb. 10, 1943

One of the most successful athletes in U.S. race walking history, Larry Young was the last American walker to win an Olympic medal, taking third in the 50 kilometers walk at both the 1968 and 1972 Games. The winner of 30 national titles, he won eight U.S. crowns at 50 kilometers and never lost a championship race at that distance. In 1972, he won eight national titles at various distances. He also was the 1967 and 1971 Pan American Games champion at 50 kilometers and represented the U.S. in international competition eight times. Young attended Columbia (Missouri) College and was an American record holder at 50 kilometers. Young has been a full-time artist for the last 25 years and has placed over 50 monumental outdoor sculptures nationally and abroad. He owns and operates Larry Young Sculpture, a 6,000 square foot foundry in Columbia, where he personally creates and produces most of his work.