25 Facts About Dianne Durham

Dianne Patrice Durham was an American artistic gymnast.

Dianne Durham was Bela and Marta Karolyi's first elite athlete in the United States, helping establish their coaching credentials outside of the state-sponsored program of their native Romania, and trained with Mary Lou Retton, who called Durham her "best competition".

Dianne Durham later ran the Skyline Gymnastics school in Chicago.

Dianne Patrice Durham was born June 17,1968, in Gary, Indiana, to parents Ural and Calvinita.

Calvinita Dianne Durham was a schoolteacher, and Ural director of industrial relations at a steel mill.

Dianne Durham initially went for a try-out, but packed with no intention of returning.

One of six initial gymnasts the Karolyis selected for their training program, Dianne Durham became their first elite gymnast in the United States.

Dianne Durham's mother joined her but her father stayed in Gary so her sister could finish high school.

Dianne Durham successfully defended her junior national all-around title in 1982, and had a breakout performance at the United States Gymnastics Federation international invitation, tying for the all-around title with teammate Kathy Johnson in Dianne Durham's first major international meet.

Dianne Durham won the individual titles for bars, floor and vault, becoming the first American woman to execute a full-twisting layout Tsukahara on vault.

Dianne Durham said later that despite these historic achievements, she was most concerned with them as part of her road to the Olympics, her ultimate goal.

Later that year Dianne Durham won the all-around title at the McDonalds International Gymnastics Championships, beating Mary Lou Retton, who was coached by the Karolyis.

Injuries prevented Dianne Durham from competing in the 1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

When she returned from rehabbing her injuries, she felt cast aside at the gym and in February 1984, Dianne Durham left the Karolyi program to train with Scott Krause in Fort Worth, Texas.

At the US team trials for the 1984 Summer Olympics, Dianne Durham was in sixth place after the first day.

However Dianne Durham injured her ankle on vault and withdrew from the competition, on the expectation she would to be petitioned onto the Olympic team.

Dianne Durham only learned later that she was ineligible because she had not competed at the 1983 World Championship, and expressed regret no one had told her that finishing the trials on an injured ankle was her only route to the Olympics.

Dianne Durham retired from competition in 1985 at 16 years old.

USGF All-around Championships- 1983 Senior All-around Champion, 1981 and 1982 Junior All-around Champion World Championships- Dianne Durham was selected as a member of the 1983 World Championship Team.

Dianne Durham became a gymnastics judge, coach and motivational speaker.

At the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain, Dianne Durham participated as a performer.

Dianne Durham was featured in a 2020 work by Johannesburg-based artist Thenjiwe Nkosi.

The video piece, entitled "Suspension", cut together footage of Black elite gymnasts from all over the world in the moments just before their routines commenced; Dianne Durham, shown posed just before her floor routine, with arms folded across her face, is the opening image.

Dianne P Durham died after a short illness at a Chicago hospital, surrounded by family, on February 4,2021.

Dianne Durham is the aunt of Michael Woods II who plays professional football for the Cleveland Browns.