Diana Golden among nominees for U.S. Olympic Committee's new Paralympian category in hall of fame

Diana Golden among nominees for U.S. Olympic Committee’s new Paralympian category in hall of fame{mosimage}For the first time, the U.S. Olympic Committee has created a Paralympian category for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. In honor of the inaugural Paralympian category, the USOC has selected five finalists, including the late Diana Golden, one of the most highly decorated alpine racers from the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.

Fans are encouraged to log on to www.usolympicteam.com, the official site of the U.S. Olympic Team, to vote for their choice of athletes who are to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2004. The voting polls will run through Wednesday, April 14, followed by an announcement of the Class of 2004 in May.

Golden lost her right leg above the knee to bone cancer when she was 12, but she was determined to keep skiing. She became a member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team while earning an English Degree at Dartmouth College. She was a member of the team from 1979-1982, then rejoined from 1985-1990, determined to be the best.

During her eight years of competitive racing, Golden had several outstanding achievements. She earned 10 gold medals from the World Disabled Ski Championships, and led the U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships in giant slalom, slalom, downhill and combined categories — earning 19 gold medals. She won all four events — slalom, GS, downhill and combined — at the 1987 and 1988 national championships.

In the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games where disabled skiing was introduced as a demonstration sport, she led the United States medal sweep of the women’s slalom.

Diana was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame as well as the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1988, Skiing magazine, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the North American Snow Journalists Association named her “Skier of the Year.” But more importantly, 1988 saw Ski Racing Magazine select Golden as their choice for Alpine Skier of the Year, breaking with the tradition of electing able-bodied World Cup athletes.

In 1996, Diana Golden was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that she continued to fight until her death at age 38 in August 2001.