Kevin Young setting the men's 400m hurdles world record in winning the gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games was honored by USA Track & Field as the 22nd greatest moment in U.S track and field in the last 25 years.

In an electrifying performance that would have won the flat 400m title as recently as the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Young became the first man in history to shatter the 47-second barrier by winning the 1992 Olympic men's 400m hurdles gold medal in the astounding world record time of 46.78 seconds. In using his unusual technique of switching between 12 and 13-stride intervals between hurdles, Young bettered the world record of 47.02 set by Edwin Moses in 1983 despite slamming the final hurdle and raising his arms in triumph prior to reaching the finish. His record still stands.

As a collegian Young was nicknamed "Spiderman" by his teammates at UCLA, where he won the 1987 and 1988 NCAA 400m hurdles crowns. After winning the 400m hurdles at the 1993 USA Outdoor Championships, later that summer Young won the gold medal at the World Outdoor Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

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