Cy C. Young Jr. (July 23, 1928 – December 6, 2017) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...

. He is the only American male to earn Olympic gold in the event.

Early life

Young was born and raised in

Modesto Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California. Modesto is locate ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He suffered from

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

as a boy.

College and athletics

Young dabbled in the javelin at

Modesto Junior College Modesto Junior College (MJC) is a public community college in Modesto, California. It is part of Yosemite Community College District along with Columbia College. MJC, and Columbia College, belong to the California Community College system al ...

, where he attended for two years. He started throwing seriously after entering

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

in 1948; in 1950 he placed second behind

Bud Held Franklin Wesley "Bud" Held (born October 25, 1927) is an American athlete primarily notable for his performance throwing the javelin. He was born in Los Angeles, California. College career Held started as a pole vaulter at Grossmont High School ...

at the

NCAA championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and 1 in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps ...

. He was a member of the

Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1869. Since its founding, Sigma Nu has chartered more than 279 chapters across the United States and Ca ...

fraternity. Young graduated from UCLA in 1951. In 1952 he set a new US record of in the javelin. Young competed at age 24 in the javelin throw for the US at the 1952

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, where he won the gold medal on his birthday. Young continued to throw during his mid-20s, and four years later prepared to defend his Olympic title. In April 1956, Young had the best throw of his career with . Later in the season, he won his only AAU championship. Because the Olympics were being in held in the Southern hemisphere – where the seasons are "reversed" in comparison to America and Europe – the Summer Games were delayed until late November, which was months after the track & field outdoor season typically ended. A few months before the Melbourne Games, Poland's Janusz Sidło – the 1954 European Champion – pushed the javelin world record out to . Nonetheless, Young headed to Melbourne, Australia as one of the favorites. Three days before the competition he twisted an ankle which caused him pain as he "planted" his leg to release his throw. There were 21 throwers from 12 nations entered in the morning qualifying round on Monday November 26. The qualifying distance was set at 66 meters- anyone who threw or better automatically advanced to the Finals. Young advance to the finals, but was only able to throw 68.64m, well below his normal, good for 11th place.

Honors and awards

Young was "named Southern California's Athlete of the Year for 1952, a competition that included the region's professional athletes as well, and missed winning the Sullivan Award by a single vote." Young was inducted into the

UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...

in 1998. He was also inducted into the Modesto Junior College Hall of Fame.

Personal life and demise

Young was a fourth generation farmer who grew walnuts and almonds. He and his wife, Elizabeth, resided in Modesto. A daughter, Jenifer, managed his business matters. Young died on December 6, 2017, at age 89 due to complications from

vascular dementia Vascular dementia is dementia caused by a series of strokes. Restricted blood flow due to strokes reduces oxygen and glucose delivery to the brain, causing cell injury and neurological deficits in the affected region. Subtypes of vascular dement ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Cy 1928 births 2017 deaths Sportspeople from Modesto, California American male javelin throwers Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Deaths from dementia in California Deaths from vascular dementia Track and field athletes from California 20th-century American sportsmen UCLA Bruins men's track and field athletes Modesto Junior College alumni