Dianne Durham

Dianne Durham (June 17, 1968 – February 4, 2021) was an American artistic gymnast. In 1983, she won the all around title at US National Championship, becoming the first African American athlete to do so.

Biography

Durham was born in Gary, Indiana[1] to parents Ural and Calvinita.[2] She began gymnastics at the age of three[2] and received her early training in gymnastics under Wanda Tomasi-Mohoi in Merrillville, Indiana.[3] In 1981, after winning the junior elite all-around title at the US National Championships, she moved to Houston, Texas to be coached by Béla Károlyi and Márta Károlyi. She successfully defended her junior national title in 1982, and in 1983 became the first African American to win the senior all-around title at the US National Championships.[4] Later that year Durham won the all-around title at the McDonalds International Gymnastics Championships, beating Mary Lou Retton, who was also coached by the Károlyis. Injuries prevented Durham from competing in the 1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

At the US team trials for the 1984 Summer Olympics, Durham injured her ankle on vault, and was forced to withdraw from the competition; she expected to be petitioned onto the Olympic team but later learned that she was ineligible because she had not competed at the 1983 World Championship.[2] She retired from competition in 1985.[5]

For seventeen years, Durham ran a gymnastics school, Syline Gymnastics on Chicago's North Side.[2] She later became a gymnastics judge, coach and motivational speaker.[2]

Personal life

As of 2012, Durham lived in Chicago with husband Tom Drahozal.[2]

She died after a short illness at a Chicago hospital, surrounded by family, on February 4, 2021.[4]

References
  1. Graves, Will. "Dianne Durham, the 1st Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship and a Gary native, dies at 52". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  2. Linehan, Courtney; Smith, Hillary; Burbridge, John (August 13, 2012). "Where Are They Now? Dianne Durham". NWI Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020.
  3. "How Dianne Durham, Bela Karolyi's first national champion, paved the way for Black gymnasts". ESPN.com. July 18, 2020. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  4. "Durham, First Black US Women's Gymnastics Champion, Dies". U.S. News & World Report. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  5. Andrew, Scottie; Boyette, Chris (February 5, 2021). "Dianne Durham, the first Black national champion of US gymnastics, dies at 52". CNN. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
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