Eileen Diaz (PUR)
1993 Jr. US Nationals
1994 US Nationals: 29th AA
1995 Pan American Games
1996 World Championships (Prelims): 21st FX, 38th UB, 27 BB
1996 Olympics: 86th UB, 71st BB, 94th V
1997 Puerto Rico Cup: 4th AA, 2nd V, 1st UB, 6th BB, 5th FX
1997 Puerto Rican Nationals: 1st AA
1997 Pan American Games: 10th AA, 2nd V
1998 Central American Games: 1st UB
A product of Cypress Academy and Brown's Gymnastics in Houston, Texas, Diaz
initially represented her adopted country (USA) in early competitions. At the
1995 Pan American Games, and in elite competitions thereafter, she represented
her native Puerto Rico. The strategy worked for Diaz, and she secured a berth to
the 1996 Olympic Games. In doing so, she became the first female gymnast to
represent Puerto Rico at the Olympics and the youngest Puerto Rican Olympian in
history (and perhaps the smallest too, then standing only 4' 8").
Diaz followed sister Gretchen into the NCAA (Gretchen competed at the
University of Arizona), accepting a scholarship to compete for the
University of Georgia. She competed only bars her Freshman year, but with style
-- the first to
compete a double twisting layout dismount off bars. She was a mainstay on bars
all four years of college, and added vault her senior year (2001-2002) when the
team was short on that event.
. This page was created on June 7, 1999 and last updated on May 19, 2003.
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