Dianne Burge, OAM (née Bowering, 9 October 1943 – 11 June 2024) was an Australian sprinter who competed in two Olympic Games and won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the title South Australian 'Athlete of the Century' by Athletics South Australia. Burge died on 11 June 2024, at the age of 80.

Early athletics career In 1963, Adelaide sprinter Diane Bowering won the Australian 100-yard Championships in an upset. She was virtually unknown outside her home state but ended the year ranked as #3 in the world. She competed for Adelaide Harriers and was coached by Len Barnes who nicknamed her 'the twerp'.Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Peter Goers' interview with Di Burge.

International athletics career In 1964 Bowering ran second in the national 100y title and earned a place on the Australian team for the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. At the Games, she did not progress past the second round of the 100 metres, but made the final of the 4 × 100 metres relay with the Australian team.Athletics Australia profile

After her marriage, running as Dianne Burge, at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, she won gold medals at 100 yards, 220 yards and in the 4x110 yards relay. At the end of the year, she was world-ranked #6 for 100 metres and #5 for 200 metres.

In 1967, she won the 100 m and 200 m at the United States versus British Commonwealth meet in Los Angeles, beating Olympic champion Wyomia Tyus and was ranked #2 in the world for 100 m and #3 for 200 m by Track and Field News.

Burge won the sprint double at the 1968 Australian Championships, running times of 11.3 and 23.0 with the 100 metres time a new Australian record. Considered a medal favourite at the Mexico Olympics, she was affected by illness in Mexico City and placed sixth in the 100-metres final.

She was ranked sixth in the world for 100 metres, when she retired from the sport in early 1969.

Awards Burge was awarded the inaugural Sportswomen's Association of Australia (SA Division) 'Sportswoman of the Year' award in 1966.Australian Women biographical profile - Dianne Burge

She was named as the 'Athlete of the Century' by Athletics South Australia.

Statistics

Personal Bests Event Time Wind Place Date 60 m 7.2 - Brisbane, Australia 13 March 1968 100 y 10.4 - Sydney, Australia 18 March 1966 Automatic 10.58 +0.1 Kingston, Jamaica 8 August 1966 100 m 11.2 - Mexico City, Mexico 4 October 1968 Automatic 11.33 +1.8 Mexico City, Mexico 14 October 1968 200 m 23.0 - Adelaide, Australia 10 March 1968 Automatic 23.65 0.0 Mexico City, Mexico 17 March 1968 220 y 23.73 0.0 Kingston, Jamaica 11 August 1966

World Rankings - 100 m and 200 m Year 100 m 200 m 1963 3 - 1964 - - 1965 - - 1966 6 5 1967 3 2 1968 6 -

Australian Championships Record Year 100y/100 m 220y/200 m 1963 1 DNQ 1964 2 DNQ 1965 3 1 1966 2 5 1967 1 DNQ 1968 1 1

DNQ=Did not qualify for final (only six athletes per final in this era)

References

External links