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.