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Olympic gymnast Dianne Durham, first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics championship, memorialized in Gary

By AP Reporter
Published  November 7, 2021 3:35pm CST
Gary
Associated Press

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GARY, Indiana - Late Olympic gymnast Dianne Durham is being remembered as a trailblazer and pioneer. 

Memorial services were held Saturday in Gary, Indiana, where Durham was born. 

She was the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship. She died in February in Chicago following a short illness. 

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports several gymnasts spoke in person and virtually at the memorial, including Simone Biles. 

Mourners remembered Durham not only for athleticism but also her style, kindness and compassion. Durham was born in Gary in 1968 and started gymnastics at age 4. 

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