Diana Gansky
Diana Gansky, née Sachse (born December 14, 1963 in Bergen auf Rügen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), is a German track and field athlete. She won an Olympic medal and was one of the world's best discus throwers. She represented East Germany and was the 1986 European champion (with her birth name Sachse). In 1987 and 1988 she was second in both the world championship and the Olympic games.
At 17 years old she was the 1981 junior European champion, but she needed a few more years before she was able to compete with the already strong discus team of East Germany. She stood in the shadows of Martina Hellmann (who she only beat at the 1986 European championship). For a long time she trained with Gabriele Reinsch the world record holder since July 1988 when she threw 76.80 meters. At the end of the 2004 season she is the only woman in the world who has thrown further than 70 meters at 24 international tournaments.
She represented ASK Vorwärts Potsdam and trained with Lothar Hillebrand. During her active career she was 1.84 meters tall and weighed 92 kilograms. She studied sports science, and at the time of German reunification she became a self-employed physiotherapist. Later she became active on the senior sports circuit and became the 2002 European Masters Champion (age 35-40). Gansky set her personal best (74.08 metres) on June 20, 1987 in Karl-Marx-Stadt; an East German record until July 9, 1988.
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  East Germany | ||||
| 1981 | European Junior Championships | Utrecht, Netherlands | 1st | |
| 1986 | European Championships | Stuttgart, West Germany | 1st | 71.36 m |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | 2nd | 70.12 m |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 2nd | 71.88 m |
References
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Galina Savinkova |
Women's Discus Best Year Performance 1986 – 1987 |
Succeeded by Gabriele Reinsch |
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