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Alex Diab
Diab at the 2024 Winter Cup
Personal information
Full nameAlexander Michael Diab
Country representedUnited States
Born (1997-04-25) April 25, 1997 (age 27)
Glen Ellyn, Illinois, U.S.
ResidenceBradenton, Florida, U.S.
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team2021–present
GymEVO Gymnastics
USOTC
College teamIllinois Fighting Illini
Head coach(es)Syque Caesar

Alexander Michael Diab (born April 25, 1997) is an American artistic gymnast. He is a still rings specialist and is a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team. He was an alternate for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Diab was a member of Illinois Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team from 2016 to 2019, where he won 44 career event titles, and set a program record with 31 career still rings titles. He also is a two-time NCAA National Champion on still rings and a six-time NCAA All-American.

Early life and education

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Diab was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, to Mark and Jennifer Diab. His father Mark was an Iowa State Cyclones men's gymnastics team member from 1981 to 1986 and was the Male Athlete of the Year in 1986. He attended Glenbard West High School.[1] He also has a sister, Maddie Diab, who also competed for the Iowa State Cyclones women's gymnastics team.

Gymnastics career

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2016–17

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Diab began competing for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's gymnastics in 2016. During his freshman year, he won the still rings title at the 2016 Big Ten Championships, with a score of 15.125. That was the eighth event title he won during the season, tying for second-most on the team. He also earned All-America honors on the horizontal bar at the NCAA Championships, finishing fifth on the horizontal bar with a score of 14.900. Following the season he was named Fighting Illini Newcomer of the Year.[2]

During his sophomore year, he won his second-straight Big Ten still rings event title, with a score of 14.875.[3] He was NCAA All-American on still rings, earning a score of 14.650 for seventh place overall at the NCAA Championships.[4] In August 2017, he competed at the 2017 World University Games.[5]

2018

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In February 2018, he competed at the 2018 Winter Cup, where he posted a combined score of 28.550 on still rings and won silver.[6]

During his junior year in April 2018, he competed at the NCAA Championships, where he posted a score of 14.500 on still rings and won gold and helped his team win bronze at the event. The win marked his 10th rings title during the season, which is the most in a season in program history.[7]

In August 2018, he competed at the 2018 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, where he posted a score of 14.500 on still rings on day one, and 14.450 on day two, for a combined score of 28.950, and won silver.[8]

2019

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In February 2019, he competed at the 2019 Winter Cup, where he posted a score of 14.550 on still rings during the preliminary round, and 14.600 to finish with a two-day total of 29.150 and won silver in the event. He also placed 10th on both floor and vault, finishing with scores of 27.250 and 28.350, respectively.[9]

On March 2, 2019, Diab set a career-best and Illinois program record score of 15.200 on rings. He was subsequently named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week.[10] During his senior year in April 2019, he competed at the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, where he won his second straight national championship on still rings with a score of 14.733, becoming the first gymnast in program history to win two national titles on the event. Diab finished his Illinois career as a six-time NCAA All-American, a four-time Big Ten still rings champion, a two-time still rings national champion, the school's all-time leader with 31 titles on still rings.[11] Following the season, he was named a finalist for the Nissen Award and 2019 CGA Specialist of the Year.[12][13]

In August 2019, he competed at the 2019 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, where he finished with a two-day total of 29.350 and won gold on still rings.[14]

2020–21

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In February 2020, he competed at the 2020 Winter Cup, where he posted a score of 14.600 on still rings in the preliminary round, and scored a 14.850 to finish with a two-day total of 29.450 to win gold in the event. He also competed in floor exercise, vault, and horizontal bar, placing within the top 20 on each apparatus.[15]

In February 2021, he competed at the 2021 Winter Cup, where he won gold on still rings.[16][17] In June 2021, he competed at the 2021 U.S. National Gymnastics Championships, where he won gold on still rings with a score of 14.950. As a result, he qualified to compete at the Olympic trials and was named to the United States men's national gymnastics team.[18][19] At the Olympic trials, he posted scores of 14.500 and 14.900 (29.400) and finished in first on still rings. He was subsequently named an alternate for Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[20][21]

Competitive history

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Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
2012 J.O. National Championships (JE14-15) 7 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2013 U.S. National Championships (Junior) 12 10 18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4 17 4
2014 J.O. National Championships (L10 JE16) 6 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships 29 16 30 8 19 34 29
2015 Winter Cup 14 33 13 28 34 16
J.O. National Championships (JE17) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 14 1st place, gold medalist(s) 10 11 4
2016 Winter Cup 8
NCAA Championships 4 10 5
U.S. National Championships 33 17 35 14 38 33 34
2017 Winter Cup 6
NCAA Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7
Universiade 7 53 35 11 14 55 71
2018 Winter Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
NCAA Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships 29 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 29 31
2019 Winter Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
NCAA Championships 5 7 1st place, gold medalist(s) 11 10
Universiade 6 7
U.S. National Championships 25 14 1st place, gold medalist(s) 12 14
2020 Winter Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2021 Winter Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Trials 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2022 Winter Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Cairo World Cup 6
Baku World Cup 5
U.S. National Championships 22 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2023 Winter Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2024 Winter Cup 20 1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. National Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Trials 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

References

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  1. ^ "Alex Diab". fightingillini.com. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "Poulter, Diab Named Fighting Illini Newcomers of the Year". fightingillini.com. June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  3. ^ "Illini Win Three Big Ten Event Titles". fightingillini.com. April 8, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  4. ^ "Illini Finish in Third Place at NCAA Championships". fightingillini.com. June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  5. ^ "Diab Selected to Compete at 2017 World University Games". fightingillini.com. April 27, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "Still Rings Title for Diab at Winter Cup". fightingillini.com. February 17, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "Diab Wins Rings Title, Illini Place Third at NCAA Championships". fightingillini.com. April 21, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "Illini Gymnasts Come up Big at U.S. Championships". fightingillini.com. August 18, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "Illini Gymnasts Impress at Winter Cup Challenge". fightingillini.com. February 17, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Illinois and Nebraska Earn Weekly Men's Gymnastics Awards". BigTen.org. March 5, 2019. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  11. ^ "Diab Claims Second-Straight Still Rings National Title". fightingillini.com. April 20, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Diab Named Nissen-Emery Award Finalist". fightingillini.com. March 8, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  13. ^ "Alex Diab Named CGA Specialist of the Year". fightingillini.com. April 18, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  14. ^ "Illini Gymnasts Wrap Up Competition at 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships". fightingillini.com. August 12, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  15. ^ "Diab Impresses at Winter Cup Challenge". fightingillini.com. February 23, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  16. ^ "Fletcher, Diab To Compete at Winter Cup". fightingillini.com. February 26, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "Diab, Fletcher Finish Winter Cup Strong". fightingillini.com. February 28, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  18. ^ "USA Gymnastics names eight additional athletes to Men's Junior and Senior National Teams, introduces inaugural Senior Development Team lineup". usagym.org. June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  19. ^ "Diab Qualifies for Olympic Team Trials". fightingillini.com. June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  20. ^ "Diab Selected as Alternate for Team USA". fightingillini.com. June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  21. ^ Zimmerman, Bradley (June 26, 2021). "Diab named an alternate for Team USA". The Daily Illini. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
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