By landing a solid vault on a sprained ankle, Kerri Strug enabled the U.S. to win its first gold medal in the Womens Gymnastics team all around competition.
Before she even attempted the vault, Kerri Strug knew that the landing was going to hurt like hell. But the pain was only temporary and her heroic accomplishment will be remembered forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlGCfS-F22I
The irony of Kerri Strug’s moment of a lifetime is that it wasn’t necessary. As it turned out, the final Russian faltered in her floor exercise, rendering Strug’s second vault meaningless in the box score. Thankfully she didn’t know it at the time, because what Strug did in Atlanta in 1996 is the most perfect example of the Olympic ideal, and it’s why sport will forever be the ultimate reality show. Read more sports.yahoo.com
Strug lands hard on both feet, amazingly without stumbling. Yet when she lands, she hears another crack in the same ankle. She gingerly picks up her damaged ankle and folds it behind her, keeping her balance, to the shock of everyone in the crowd and everyone watching on TV. Her mind tells her body to stand upright for the traditional post-performance pose. She hops on one foot to face one side of the crowd, then hops again to face the other, all the while holding up her injured ankle.
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