Kerri Strug facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kerri Strug |
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| Full name | Kerri Allyson Strug Fischer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 19, 1977 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
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| Hometown | Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Robert Fischer
(m. 2010) |
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| Height | 141 cm (4 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 1990–97 (USA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kerri Allyson Strug (born November 19, 1977) is a former American gymnast. She is famous for her brave performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Kerri was part of the "Magnificent Seven", the U.S. women's gymnastics team that won the gold medal. She completed a difficult vault even after injuring her ankle, which helped her team secure the win.
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Kerri Strug's Gymnastics Journey
Early Career and Olympic Dreams
Kerri Strug started gymnastics training when she was just three years old. By age eight, she was already competing. In 1991, she joined the United States National Team.
At 14, Kerri was the youngest member of the U.S. team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. There, she helped her team win a bronze medal. After these Games, Kerri continued to train hard, often dealing with injuries. She moved between different coaches and training centers to find the best fit.
In 1995, Kerri placed well at the U.S. Nationals and helped the U.S. team win a bronze medal at the World Championships. She was getting ready for the biggest competition of her life: the 1996 Olympics.
The 1996 Atlanta Olympics
Kerri Strug was a key member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. This team became known as the "Magnificent Seven". The U.S. team was competing against strong teams like Russia, Romania, and Ukraine.
The team competition came down to the very last event: the vault. The U.S. team had a small lead over Russia. Kerri was the last American gymnast to perform her vault. Her teammate, Dominique Moceanu, had fallen on her two vault attempts just before Kerri. This made Kerri's vault even more important.
The Famous Vault
On her first vault attempt, Kerri didn't quite rotate enough and fell, injuring her ankle. The score for this vault was 9.162. The U.S. team needed a good score from Kerri's second vault to guarantee the gold medal.
Her coach, Béla Károlyi, famously asked her, "Kerri, we need you to go one more time. We need you one more time for the gold. You can do it, you better do it." Despite her injured ankle, Kerri bravely limped to the runway for her second attempt.
She landed the vault on both feet for a moment, then quickly hopped onto her good foot. She saluted the judges, showing her determination. Then, she collapsed in pain and needed help off the mat. The crowd cheered loudly for her courage. Her second vault scored 9.712, which was enough to secure the gold medal for the U.S. team!
After the Vault
Kerri's teammates refused to go to the medal ceremony without her. So, her coach, Béla Károlyi, carried her onto the podium to join the team. She was later treated for a serious ankle sprain. Because of her injury, she couldn't compete in the individual events she had qualified for. Other U.S. gymnasts took her place.
Kerri Strug became a national hero for her incredible bravery. She met President Bill Clinton and appeared on many TV shows. She was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and a Wheaties cereal box.
Life After Gymnastics
After her amazing Olympic moment, Kerri retired from gymnastics. She went to college, first at UCLA and then at Stanford University. She earned a master's degree in social psychology.
Kerri also worked as an elementary school teacher. Later, she worked for the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., including at the Treasury Department and the Justice Department. She has also run in several marathons.
In 2000, Kerri was honored by being inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. She has also appeared in TV commercials and worked as a gymnastics correspondent for Yahoo! during the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Personal Life
Kerri Strug was born in Tucson, Arizona. Her father was a heart surgeon. Kerri is Jewish. In 2010, she married Robert Fischer. They have two children: a son born in 2012 and a daughter born in 2014.
Images for kids
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The Olympic rings, a symbol of the Olympic Games.
