Sheila Young
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Sheila Grace•Young (-Ochowicz) |
| Used name | Sheila•Young |
| Born | 14 October 1950 in Birmingham, Michigan (USA) |
| Measurements | 163 cm / 59 kg |
| Affiliations | Wolverine Skating Club |
| NOC |  United States |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Bronze | 1 |
| Total | 3 |
Biography
A top track cyclist and speed skater at the same time, in 1973 Sheila Young performed the astounding feat of winning World Championships in both sports in the same year. She won the sprint worlds on the ice, the first of three titles (1973, 1975-76), while her sprint title on the velodrome was also the first of three, the others coming in 1976 and 1981.
In 1976, Sheila Young won three Olympic speedskating medals at the 1976 Winter Olympics, including a gold medal in the 500 m. She later married cyclist and future directeur sportif Jim Ochowicz. Their daughter Elli later also became a speed skater. Her sister-in-law, Connie Paraskevin-Young, was also a World Champion in the sprint, as well as a top international speed skater.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | USA |
Sheila Young | |||
| 500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 17 | |||||
| 1976 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | USA |
Sheila Young | |||
| 500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver |
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Winter Olympics | 6 February 1976 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 500 metres, Women | Final Standings | 42.76 | 1 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | USA |
Sheila Young |
Olympic family relations
- Wife of Jim Ochowicz
- Sister of Roger Young
- Sister-in-law of Connie Paraskevin-Young
- Mother of Elli Ochowicz
Special Notes
- Bearer of the Olympic Flag at the opening ceremony of the 1980 Winter Olympics
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Sprint – 19 January 1973 - 1 April 1974 and 9 February 1975 - 11 March 1975: 86.000 (19 January 1973; Davos, SUI), 85.475 (17 February 1974; Innsbruck, AUT), 85.090 (9 February 1975; Inzell, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (500 m – 19 January 1973 - 11 March 1975 and 31 January 1976 - 27 March 1981: 41.8 (19 January 1973; Davos, SUI), 40.91 (31 January 1976; Davos, SUI), 40.68 (13 March 1976; Inzell, FRG); Sprint Combination – 20 January 1973 - 29 March 1975 and 13 March 1976 - 28 March 1981: 173.450 (19/20 January 1973; Davos, SUI), 166.210 (12/13 March 1976; Inzell, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (0–0–2 1975 Assen bronze: Allround; 1976 Gjøvik bronze: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships (3–0–0 1973 Oslo gold: sprint; 1975 Göteborg gold: sprint; 1976 West Berlin gold: sprint)