Diana Gansky (née Sachse; born 14 December 1963 in Bergen auf Rügen, Bezirk Rostock) 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.

Diana Gansky
Diana Gansky in 1987
Personal information
Birth nameDiana Sachse
Born (1963-12-14) 14 December 1963 (age 60)
Bergen auf Rügen, Bezirk Rostock, East Germany
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight92 kg (203 lb)
Sport
CountryEast Germany (1981–1988)
SportAthletics
EventDiscus throw
ClubASK Vorwärts Potsdam
Achievements and titles
Personal best74.08 m (1987)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  East Germany
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1988 Seoul Discus
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1987 Rome Discus
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1986 Stuttgart Discus
European Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1981 Utrecht Discus

Gansky won the European Junior Championship as a 17-year-old in 1981, 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. During her career Gansky reached 70 meters in 24 meetings, more than any other woman.

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 20 June 1987 in Karl-Marx-Stadt; an East German record until 9 July 1988.

International competitions

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All results regarding Discus

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing   East Germany
1981 European Junior Championships Utrecht, Netherlands 1st 57.30 m
1986 Goodwill Games Moscow, Soviet Union 3rd 68.46 m
European Championships Stuttgart, West Germany 1st 71.36 m
1987 European Cup Prague, Czechoslovakia 1st 73.90 m
World Championships Rome, Italy 2nd 70.12 m
1988 Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 2nd 71.88 m

References

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  • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Diana Gansky". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Women's discus Best Year Performance
1986–1987
Succeeded by