TURNER, CATHY

born April 10, 1962, Rochester, N.Y., U.S. in full Cathy Ann Turner, married name Cathy Ann Turner Bostley American short-track speed skater who came out of retirement to capture a gold medal at the sport's Olympic debut (1992). Known for her aggressive style of skating, she defended her title in 1994. Turner began speed skating as a child, specializing in the fast-paced short-track version of the sport, and by 1979 she was the U.S. national champion. A year later, struggling with burn-out, she retired from competitive skating to try her luck as a professional pop singer/composer under the stage name Nikki Newland. After an eight-year layoff, Turner returned to the ice in 1988 and four years later made the U.S. Olympic team. When short-track made its debut at the Winter Games in Albertville, France, Turner won the 500-metre race by only 0.04 second and helped the U.S. capture the silver in the 3,000-metre relay. She briefly skated professionally with the Ice Capades but came out of retirement again in 1994 to compete at the Games in Lillehammer, Norway, where she took the gold medal in the 500-metre event in the Olympic record time of 45.98 sec and led the U.S. to a bronze in the 3,000-metre relay. Turner's brash manner and highly aggressive style on the ice, especially in the tight turns common to short-track racing, was often criticized by other competitors. At the world championships in 1991, her preliminary heat had to be restarted several times because of accidents. In Lillehammer she won the 500-metre final amid allegations of bumping her opponent, and she was officially disqualified in a semifinal heat of the 1,000-metre event.