Kerri Strug
| Kerri Strug Fischer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kerri Allyson Strug Fischer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
November 19, 1977 Tucson, Arizona |
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| Hometown | Tucson, Arizona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 4 ft 7 1⁄2 in (141 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 lb (37 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Citizenship | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Gymnast, teacher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 1991–1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known for | 1996 Summer Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Robert Fischer (2010–present) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kerri Allyson Strug Fischer (born November 19, 1977) is an American retired gymnast from Tucson, Arizona. She was a member of the Magnificent Seven, the victorious all-around women's gymnastics team that represented the United States at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and is best remembered for performing the vault despite having injured her ankle and for subsequently being carried to the podium by her coach, Béla Károlyi.
Strug began training in gymnastics at the age of three. She began competing in gymnastics at the age of eight. Her sister Lisa was already competing in gymnastics at the time that Strug was born. Strug was trained by American coach Jim Gault until January 1991, when she moved to Houston, Texas to train with coach Béla Károlyi. At that time, she also joined the United States National Team. In 1992, at age 14, she won a team bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics, at which she was the youngest member of the entire U.S. team. Throughout the Team Compulsories and Optionals, she and Kim Zmeskal competed for the final US available spot to compete in the all-around. She was eventually edged out by Zmeskal, with Shannon Miller and Betty Okino as the other two American gymnasts to qualify for the all-around.
Coach Béla Károlyi retired after the 1992 Games, leaving Strug to decide whether to continue gymnastics with a different coach or quit. Strug chose to move to Edmond, Oklahoma to train under the coaching of Steve Nunno at the Dynamo Gymnastics Club, where she trained with Shannon Miller. There, she struggled with severe weight loss and a serious injury to her stomach.
At the 1993 Nationals, Strug placed 3rd in the all-around, 2nd on the uneven bars, and 3rd on floor exercise. She completed the Yurchenko ½ vault. However, she had a weak second vault and did not medal in that event. After this competition, Strug left Edmond to return home to Tucson, Arizona where she trained with Arthur Akopian, who flew in from California to train her, with the assistance of Jim Gault. Gault was Strug's coach when she started gymnastics at age 3.
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