Valerie Young

{{Short description|New Zealand shot putter and discus thrower}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2019}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Valerie Young

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=100%}}

| image = Marise Chamberlain and Valerie Young 1958.jpg

| caption = Young (right) with Marise Chamberlain at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games

| full_name = Valerie Isobel Marie Young

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|08|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Ashburton, New Zealand

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 180 cm

| weight = 75 kg

| country = New Zealand

| sport = Track and field

| event = Shot put, discus throw

| pb = SP – 17.26 m (1964)
DT – 53.77 m (1962){{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sl/valerie-sloper-young-1.html |title=Valerie Sloper-Young |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706132504/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sl/valerie-sloper-young-1.html |archive-date=2018-07-06}}{{cite web |url=http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=2543&Gender=W |title=Valerie Young |website=trackfield.brinkster.net}}

| nationals = Discus champion (1957–1958, 1961–1966, 1972–1973, 1975–1982)
Shot put champion (1956–1966, 1972–1974, 1979–1981)
Pentathlon champion (1958, 1963)

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold| 1958 Cardiff|Shot put}}

{{MedalGold| 1962 Perth|Shot put}}

{{MedalGold| 1962 Perth|Discus}}

{{MedalGold| 1966 Kingston|Shot put}}

{{MedalGold| 1966 Kingston|Discus}}

{{MedalSilver| 1974 Christchurch|Shot put}}

{{MedalBronze| 1958 Cardiff|Discus}}

}}

File:Women's discus thrower Val Young (Canterbury) at the NZ A.A.A. Championships Q.E. 2 Christchurch.jpg

Valerie Isobel Marie Young {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=85%}} (née Sloper, born 10 August 1937) is a former athlete from New Zealand. She competed at the 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1974 Commonwealth Games, and won seven medals in the shot put and discus throw. She retired after the 1966 games to have a family, but went back into training when the 1974 Games were allocated to Christchurch. She also competed at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Summer Olympics, and went to the 1976 and 1984 games as an official (chaperone). She placed fourth in the shot put in 1960 and 1964, and fifth in 1956.

Young won the most gold medals (5) of any New Zealand competitor at the Commonwealth Games. At the national level, she has won more New Zealand titles, 37, than any other athlete, including 18 in the discus and 17 in the shot put. She also won the pentathlon title twice, in 1958 and 1963.{{cite web |url=http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/userfiles/file/National_Champions.pdf |title=National champions 1887–2016 |date=December 2016 |publisher=Athletics New Zealand |access-date=7 May 2017 | first=Stephen | last=Hollings}}

In the 1987 New Year Honours, Young was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to athletics.{{London Gazette|issue=50766|date=31 December 1986|page=34 |supp=3}}