Cathy Turner
Encyclopedia
Cathy Ann Turner (born April 10, 1962, Rochester, New York
) is an American short track speed skater
, who won gold medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics
and 1994 Winter Olympics
.
Turner was the American short-track champion in 1979, but failed to make the U.S. team for the 1980 Winter Olympics
. She left skating to pursue a career as a singer. She sang in bands, shows and then began writing her own songs. She became a studio singer and song writer just before returning to her sport. " After 9 years away from her sports, she resumed training. She qualified for the Albertville Olympics, where she won the 500-meter short track race
and was a member of the silver medal-winning 3000-meter relay team.
Turner retired from competitive skating after the 1992 Games to star with the Ice Capades
, but then returned yet again for the 1994 Games. She won another gold in the 500 meters in a controversial race in which silver medalist Zhang Yanmei
accused Turner of grabbing her leg as Turner passed her. After the race, Canadian Nathalie Lambert
, the three-time all-around world champion and 1992 Albertville Olympic gold medalist, called Turner a "dirty" skater in the interview. Many called this just sour grapes because Turner just popped back onto the skating scene only months before the Games. Turner was disqualified from the 1000-meter race for intentionally cutting in front of South Korean skater Kim So-Hee in a heat; she took a bronze in the 3000-meter team relay. Turner competed once more in the 3000-meter relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano.
Turner now lives in Parma, New York
and works as a Software Engineer at Paetec Communications, a motivational speaker, and is now a spokeperson for a brand new aqua fitness, resistance product, called Bowswim(www.bowswim.com). She has also been a skating commentator for ESPN
. Turner holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Northern Michigan University
, and is a contributor to the book Awaken The Olympian Within, among others.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
) is an American short track speed skater
Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
, who won gold medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
and 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
.
Turner was the American short-track champion in 1979, but failed to make the U.S. team for the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
. She left skating to pursue a career as a singer. She sang in bands, shows and then began writing her own songs. She became a studio singer and song writer just before returning to her sport. " After 9 years away from her sports, she resumed training. She qualified for the Albertville Olympics, where she won the 500-meter short track race
Speed skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics
The Speed skating competition during the 1992 Winter Olympic Games was held at the Anneau de Vitesse located next to the Théâtre des Cérémonies, a couple of kilometers west of downtown Albertville...
and was a member of the silver medal-winning 3000-meter relay team.
Turner retired from competitive skating after the 1992 Games to star with the Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
, but then returned yet again for the 1994 Games. She won another gold in the 500 meters in a controversial race in which silver medalist Zhang Yanmei
Zhang Yanmei
Zhang Yanmei is a female Chinese short track speed skater. She competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics and in the 1994 Winter Olympics.-Biography:...
accused Turner of grabbing her leg as Turner passed her. After the race, Canadian Nathalie Lambert
Nathalie Lambert
Nathalie Lambert is a Canadian Olympic Medalist in Short-track speed skating. She won one Gold medal and two Silver medals at the Olympics. She is also a three-time Overall World Champion for 1991, 1993 and 1994.Lambert won the 11 international competitions in which she participated, between 1992...
, the three-time all-around world champion and 1992 Albertville Olympic gold medalist, called Turner a "dirty" skater in the interview. Many called this just sour grapes because Turner just popped back onto the skating scene only months before the Games. Turner was disqualified from the 1000-meter race for intentionally cutting in front of South Korean skater Kim So-Hee in a heat; she took a bronze in the 3000-meter team relay. Turner competed once more in the 3000-meter relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano.
Turner now lives in Parma, New York
Parma, New York
Parma is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 15,633 at the 2010 census.The Town of Parma, then in Genesee County, was organized in 1808, named after Parma in Italy.-Geography:...
and works as a Software Engineer at Paetec Communications, a motivational speaker, and is now a spokeperson for a brand new aqua fitness, resistance product, called Bowswim(www.bowswim.com). She has also been a skating commentator for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Turner holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest...
, and is a contributor to the book Awaken The Olympian Within, among others.