Dianne Durham Leaves Behind a Legacy
By Ashlee Buhler for Inside Gymnastics
Dianne Durham stood in the corner of the floor exercise with a look of determination in her eyes. It was the 1983 U.S. Championships and Durham, at just 14 years of age, was 90 seconds away from making history.
No Black gymnast had ever won a U.S. national title, but Durham did not let that faze her. She nailed her floor routine, displaying a combination of power and grace not often seen in her era. The arena was electric, the crowd was on their feet. One group of fans held a banner that read “We love Dianne.”
Durham had just etched her name in the history books. When all was said and done, Durham walked away as the national champion on vault, beam, floor, and in the All-Around.
Durham set a precedent for the future generation of Black gymnasts. She overcame racial prejudice and broke barriers in a sport dominated by white women. For young Black gymnasts around the country, Durham was proof that they too could achieve glory at the sports highest level.
All it takes is one person to prove it can be done. Inspiration then trickles down from generation to generation. Durham could have been the first Black gymnast to compete at the Olympics for the United States, but an unfortunately timed injury and intense confusion over qualifying rules prevented her from reaching that milestone.
Seven years after Durham retired from the sport, Betty Okino and Dominique Dawes achieved this feat, becoming the first Black gymnasts to win an Olympic medal for the United States with their team bronze medal at the 1992 Games. Four years later, Dawes competed in her second Olympics, and took home a bronze on floor and helped the U.S. win team gold.
