American · Los Angeles, USA · Born 16 August 1966Former 400m hurdles world record holder.
Kevin Curtis Young was born on 16 September 1966 in Watts, California, and walked on to the UCLA track team as a freshman, graduating from David Starr Jordan High School, the same school that produced fellow Olympic legend Florence Griffith-Joyner. Young developed his hurdling skills under coach John Smith at UCLA, winning four individual NCAA titles, and finished fourth at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, one place behind the legendary Edwin Moses in the twilight of his career. Young delivered one of the greatest performances in the sport's history at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, winning gold in the 400m hurdles with a world record time of 46.78 seconds, becoming the first and, for nearly three decades, only man to break the 47-second barrier, a mark that stood until Karsten Warholm surpassed it in 2021. Young won the world title the following year at the 1993 World Championships, and was named IAAF World Athlete of the Year for 1992, later being inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of one of the most dominant single seasons in hurdling history.
Sprinter (400m H)
How They Played
Explosive speed and technical precision over hurdles
Lasting Impact
Set 400m hurdles world record of 46.78 seconds that stood for 29 years
Career Honours
- 1992 Olympic gold 400mH
- 1993 World champ 400mH
- WR 46.78
American Athletes