Jason Young (born May 27, 1981) is an American

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by th ...

er who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing 19th. At

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

, Young was a two-time

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n in

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

and placed second in the discus at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championship. In 2010 and 2011, he was the runner-up in discus at the

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Oly ...

. He finished 2010 as the number two ranked discus thrower in the world, and has been ranked among the top ten in the United States six times.

Early life

Jason Young was born May 27, 1981. He first started throwing the discus in high school and was quickly hooked; by age 17, he knew he wanted to compete the event at the Olympics. He graduated from Samuell High School in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, Texas in 1999. In 1999, he won the

at the

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 a ...

Junior Olympics with a distance of .

Athletic career

After high school, Young attended

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...

where he was a two-time

n in track and field. In 2002, he won the discus at the NACAC Under-25 Championships with a distance of . In 2003, he placed fourth in the discus at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The next year, he improved to second place, turning in a throw of . By the time he graduated in 2004, Young had set three school records – the indoor

weight throw Two sports have events that fall under the name of weight throw one being the track and field event and the other being the Scottish highland games events. The track and field event is most popular in the United States as an indoor equivalent t ...

, the outdoor discus, and the

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consist ...

. As of 2012, all three records still stand. He also qualified for the Olympic Trials where he placed ninth in the discus. In 2006, Young finished the year ranked number two in the country at the discus and number six in the world. He took 2007 off, and finished 2008 ranked number two and number 15. He returned to top form in 2010, turning in his personal best throw to date with a distance of and finished the year as the top ranked thrower in the US and number two in the world. As of 2012, Young has now been ranked in the top 10 nationally at the discus six times. At the 2008 Olympic Trials, Young placed 9th in the discus. In 2010, Young was the runner-up in discus at the

with a throw of . In 2011, he lost his job and "almost quit" competing. He pressed on and finished second in the US Championships, with a distance of . He moved on to the 2011 World Championships where he placed 10th with a distance of . At the 2012 Olympic Trials, Young threw the discus in the first round to take an early lead. From there, he steadily improved throwing in the second round, in the fourth and in the sixth and final round. He placed third and made the 2012 United States Olympic Team. As it turned out, his first round throw would have also been good enough for the third and final qualifying spot. "It’s been a really long road to try to get here," he remarked. "More than anything else, I’m relieved that I’m finally on the team." In the qualifying round of the discus at the 2012 Olympics, Young recorded a distance of on his first throw placing him eighth at the time. His next two attempts were fouls while several other competitors improved their marks. As a result, Young fell to 18th place and did not advance out of the qualifying round. He did, however, finish ahead of the other two American competitors. Young is self-coached and is sponsored by

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

Personal life

After college, Young worked as a strength and conditioning coach for Texas Tech. He currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, where he works as a personal trainer. He is married to former Texas Tech teammate Megan Young, and has a one-year-old son, Omo. In order to raise money to get his family to

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for the 2012 Olympics, Young conducted several fundraising events. Being a track and field competitor is "extremely difficult," he explained. "Very few people can make a full-time living at track and field".

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Jason 1981 births Living people American male discus throwers Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Texas Tech Red Raiders men's track and field athletes