Cathy Turner Biography

1962-

American speed skater

Cathy Turner

At the 1994 Olympics, speedskater Cathy Turner was being just like the Cathy Turner everyone knew; tough, competitive and controversial. She took a tight corner in the 500 meter short-track race, shoulder to shoulder with her competition. A speedskater's hands glide over the surface of the ice to keep balance, but in this case, some said she used her hands as a weapon. One of them seemed to grab hold of the ankle of China's Zhang Yanmei, knocking her out of contention for the gold. Most other athletes would have had the benefit of the doubt. But this was Cathy Turner and she had spent years in the sport developing a bad reputation for "dirty skating." The incident didn't quite match the furor that Tonya Harding was facing at the same time but it challenged Turner's love of the sport. Even though she's spent many years trying to clean up her image, ultimately her performance that night would end up being what many people remember about her otherwise impressive career.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Cathy Turner, Cathy Turner's Empire Fitness, 83 South Avenue, Hilton, NY 14468.