Dianne Durham, first black U.S. all-around champion, dies at 52

By Patricia Duffy | February 4, 2021
Dianne Durham, first black U.S. all-around champion, dies at 52

UPDATE 2/5/2021 8:30 p.m. ET: In response to Gymnastics Now’s request for comment on the petition for Dianne Durham to be posthumously added to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, USAG gave the following statement:

“The overwhelming support for inducting Dianne Durham into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame is a testament to her enduring legacy, and we believe that her contributions to our sport are deserving of this recognition. The formal process for nominations and selections to the Hall of Fame includes significant community participation and is set to open next month for the 2021 class. Though USA Gymnastics provides administrative support throughout the nomination process, the organization is not involved in selection decisions. We would, however, support Dianne’s inclusion in the Hall of Fame.”


Original: Dianne Durham, the first black U.S. all-around champion and a trailblazer for black gymnasts around the world, has passed away at the age of 52.

Dianne Durham (right) and her husband, Tom Drahozal. (Photo credit: Tom Drahozal/Facebook.)

Although the exact cause of death is unknown, Durham’s husband, Tom Drahozal, shared on Durham’s Facebook on Monday, February 1, saying, “Please keep Dianne in your thoughts and prayers. Dianne is critically ill right now and the next few days are very important.”

On Thursday afternoon, Drahozal shared the following update:

“Dianne Durham the love of my life passed away today. She stuck a triple full over the gates of heaven and was awarded with the biggest prize ever. She will be in heaven for eternity. I miss her, but know that she will be my guardian angel. Her sister Alice and I were by her side when she passed away peacefully. I love you with all my heart Dianne and will honor your memory for the rest of my life.”

Drahozal told AP News that he hopes USA Gymnastics will honor her contributions to the sport by inducting her into the organization’s Hall of Fame, saying, “I just hope that the biggest thing that her family hopes for is that they would finally acknowledge the contributions she made to the sport.”

USA Gymnastics CEO & president Li Li Leung said the organization is “heartbroken.”

“As an icon and trailblazer in our sport, Dianne opened doors for generations of gymnasts who came after her, and her legacy carries on each day in gyms across the country,” Leung said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with her friends and family during this difficult time.”

Career

Dianne Durham started gymnastics in 1971 at the age of 3 and first training at Wanda Tomasi’s gymnastics facility in Merrillville, Indiana.

After training at three different gyms – former coach Tomasi told Durham she couldn’t take her to the level she needed – and making her way up the ranks in USA Gymnastics’ Region 5 for 10 years, Durham moved to Texas to train with former U.S. national team head coach Bela Karolyi.

She was on the U.S. junior national team in 1981 and 1982, winning the U.S. junior all-around titles both years before moving up to the senior national team from 1983 to 1985.

Durham became the first African-American gymnast to win a U.S. senior all-around title in 1983. She was also the first American woman to successfully land a Tsuk full off vault, winning the 1983 national vault title. In total, she won 3 out of 4 possible event titles at the 1983 U.S. Championships (VT, BB, FX) and earned silver on the uneven bars.

In the lead up to the 1984 Olympics, Durham was plagued by injuries. First, a knee injury forced her to miss the 1983 World Championships in Hungary. At Olympic Trials, Durham injured her ankle on vault. She petitioned to join the team, but since she was not on the 1983 World team (also due to injury), her petition was denied. Another ankle sprain ultimately led to her retirement in 1985.

Prior to her ankle injury at 1984 Olympic Trials, Durham was considered a sure bet for the seven-person team, with her and training partner Mary Lou Retton expected to be a powerful duo for the U.S. at those Los Angeles Games. Durham would’ve been a medal contender – potentially the first black Olympic gymnastics medalist ever. (Luci Collins was the first black gymnast to qualify to the U.S. women’s Olympic team in 1980, but the U.S. boycotted those games.) Instead, in 1992, Betty Okino and Dominique Dawes earned that distinction when they were part of the bronze-medal winning U.S. team in 1992.

“People said, you’re the first Black — I’m using Black because African American wasn’t a term in my era — national champion. Do you know that didn’t go through my head one time? Not one time. Do you know how many people had to tell me that? I could not understand why that was such a humongous deal.”

– Dianne Durham

International Competitions

  • 1984 – McDonald’s USA vs. PR China, 1st All Around, 1st FX, 1st (t) V, 2nd BB, 1st Team
  • 1984 – International Mixed Pairs (with Laurent Barbieri of France), 5th All Around
  • 1984 – McDonald’s American Cup
  • 1984 – Hong Kong Invitational
  • 1983 – Chunichi Cup, 3rd All Around, 2nd (t) BB, 5th UB
  • 1983 – Tokyo Invitational, 5th UB, 9th BB
  • 1983 – McDonald’s International Invitational, 1st All Around, 2nd UB
  • 1983 – International Mixed Pairs (with Jim Hartung), 8th All Around
  • 1982 – Chunichi Cup, 10th All Around, 1st V, 3rd UB
  • 1982 – International Invitational, 1st (t) All Around, 1st V, 5th (t) UB
  • 1982 – Gymnast Friendship Championships, 3rd All Around with FRG and PRC
  • 1982 – USA vs. Japan, 3rd All Around
  • 1981 – USA vs. Canada Junior Invitational
  • 1981 – International Mixed Pairs
  • 1981 – South African Invitational, Sanlam Cup, 1st All Around

National Competitions

  • 1984 – Olympic Trials, Jacksonville, FL
  • 1984 – McDonald’s Championships of the USA, 7th-AA
  • 1984 – USGF U.S. Classic, 3rd (t) All Around
  • 1983 – World Championships Team Trials, 2nd All Around
  • 1983 – McDonald’s Championships of the USA, 1st All Around; 1st BB, FX, V; 2nd (t) UB
  • 1983 – Caesar’s Palace Invitational, 2nd All Around
  • 1983 – USGF U.S. Classic, 1st All Around
  • 1983 – USGF American Classic, 3rd All Around
  • 1982 – Junior Championships of the USA, 1st All Around
  • 1982 – Single Elimination Championships, 2nd All Around
  • 1982 – Junior USGF U.S. Classic, 2nd All Around; 1st V, UB
  • 1981 – Junior Elite Team Trials, 2nd All Around; 1st V, FX; 2nd UB
  • 1981 – Junior Championships of the USA, 1st All Around
  • 1981 – 1st Elite Nationals, 2nd All Around

Routine Highlights

1984 U.S Championships | Vault

1983 U.S Championships | Uneven Bars

1984 USA vs. CHN | Balance Beam

1983 U.S Championships | Floor Exercise

Personal life

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

Durham started gymnastics at the age of 3 and became Bela Karolyi’s first elite American gymnast in 1981 – the same year she won her first of two U.S. junior all-around titles, with her second coming the next year in 1982. In 1983, she became the first black gymnast to win the U.S. senior all-around title.

After retiring in 1985 due to injury, Durham remained active in the gymnastics community, becoming a USA Gymnastics national judge and founding Skyline Gymnastics in Chicago, Illinois. She was also a motivational speaker for gymnasts.

Durham’s Dad, Ural, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas‘ grandfather belong to the same AMVETS post in Gary, according to a 2017 profile by The Times of Northwest Indiana.

In June of 2020, Durham posted to her personal Facebook page (left) speaking out against the incidents of racism and discrimination that occurred in the spring and summer.

“If we are going to end racism, discrimination, and injustices towards people in this country, it will take the efforts of all Americans from all races with good hearts and good values to do so. When we all see injustices, we need to stand up and call it out.”

Read more about Dianne Durham’s life and career

The gymnastics community mourns Dianne Durham


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