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“The text on this page is a copy, with permission, of the official USA Gymnastics biography!
KERRI STRUG
1996 Olympic Gold Medalist
1995 World Championships Bronze Medalist
1994 Team World Championships Silver Medalist
1993 World Championships Event Finalist
1992 Olympic Bronze Medalist
1992 World Championships Event Finalist
1991 World Championships Silver Medalist
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Birth Date/Place: November 19, 1977/Tucson, Ariz.
Former Club: Karolyi's Gymnastics
Coaches: Bela and Martha Karolyi
Began Gymnastics: 1982
Years on National Team: 7 (1990-97)
Favorite Events: Floor exercise and uneven bars
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Kerri Strug vaulted into Olympic history with her courageous performance during the 1996 Olympic Games. Kerri landed an unforgettable vault on an injured ankle to help the U.S. clinch its first Olympic gold medal in the team gymnastics competition.
Her emotional performance has earned Kerri a variety of awards and accolades, from the Olympic Spirit Award to a spot on the Wheaties Box.
Her rise in the gymnastics world began long before her 1996 heroics. She began gymnastics at age 8, where she followed in the footsteps of her older sister and brother. Kerri became the youngest American on the Olympic squad in 1992, where she earned a bronze medal in the Barcelona Olympics. She was a three-time World Championship medalist and member of five World Championship teams since 1991. She also won the 1996 McDonald’s American Cup and 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival.
Strug’s gut-wrenching performance in Atlanta earned her fame well beyond the gymnastics world. She was featured on the cover of both Time and People magazines. She appeared on television shows including “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “Touched by an Angel,” as well as interviews on “The Today Show,” “Dateline,” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
Only three months after the 1996 Olympics, Kerri started college. She earned her BA in Communications and an MA in Sociology from Stanford University. Following graduation, Kerri worked as a second grade teacher in San Jose, Calif. Despite her busy schedule, Kerri volunteers her time and energy to a variety of charitable causes. Kerri has served as a spokesperson for the Special Olympics and the Children’s Miracle Network. She has also participated in projects with DARE, Pediatric AIDS, Make-a-Wish Foundation, and Childhelp. The Women’s Sports Foundation presented Strug with the Reebok/Lady FootLocker Giving Back Award in recognition of her community efforts. Although no longer in competitive gymnastics, she maintains involvement in the gymnastic
community through work with parents, kids, and coaches throughout the country at various gymnastic camps and clubs. An author of two books, Kerri reaches out to others who can be inspired by her determination both inside and outside the gym. Heart of Gold targets younger readers who can learn of Kerri’s ups and downs as a young gymnast. Her autobiography, Landing on my Feet: A Diary of Dreams, focuses on the hard work and commitment that led to her heroic Olympic performance.
Kerri now resides in Washington D.C. where her patriotic spirit has led her to work for the government.No matter where Kerri lives, she will always be a proud native of Tucson, AZ, where her father and mother still reside.
KERRI STRUG
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
1996 Olympic Games, Atlanta, Ga.; 1st-team (was unable to compete in the all-around competition and the vault and floor event finals due to injury)
1996 McDonald’s International Gymnastics Championships, Atlanta, Ga.; 4th (with John Roethlisberger and Jessica Davis)
1996 McDonald’s American Cup, Ft. Worth, Texas; 1st-AA, T2nd-V & UB, T1st-BB & FX
1995 World Championships, Sabae, Japan; 7th-AA, 3rd-team
1994 Team World Championships, Dortmund, GER; 2nd-team
1993 DTB Pokal, Stuttgart, GER; 7th-UB (semi-finals)
1993 Arthur Gander Memorial, Montreux, SUI; 4th-AA
1993 Swiss Cup, St. Gallen, SUI; 10th-AA (with John Roethlisberger)
1993 Hilton Challenge, Los Angeles, Calif.; 1st-team, 7th-AA
1993 World Championships, Birmingham, GBR; 5th-AA (Competition I) & V, 6th-FX
1993 Reebok International Mixed Pairs, Atlanta, Ga.; 2nd-AA (with Chris Waller)
1993 McDonald’s American Cup, Orlando, Fla.; 2nd-AA, 1st-BB
1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona, ESP; 3rd-team, 14th-AA (Competition I)
1992 World Gymnastics Championships, Paris, FRA; 5th-V, 7th-UB, 10th-FX (semi-finals)
1992 McDonald’s International Mixed Pairs, Tallahassee, Fla.; T12th-AA (with Trent Dimas)
1992 McDonald’s American Cup, Orlando, Fla.; 3rd-AA (preliminaries)
1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, Ind.; 15th-AA (Competition I), 2nd-team
1991 USA vs. Romania, Houston, Texas; 8th-AA, T1st-V
1991 McDonald’s American Cup, Orlando, Fla.; 6th-AA (preliminaries)
1990 Dutch Open, Den Haag, NED; 3rd-AA, 2nd-UB & BB, 3rd-FX, 5th-V
1990 Junior Pan American Games, Tallahassee, Fla.; 1st-team, AA, UB & BB, 2nd-FX, 5th-V
1989 Junior Pacific Alliance, Indianapolis, Ind.; 1st-team, 3rd-AA
NATIONAL COMPETITION
1996 U.S. Olympic Trials-Gymnastics, Boston, Mass.; 2nd-AA
1996 Coca-Cola National Championships, Knoxville, Tenn.; 5th-AA, 2nd-V, 2nd-FX
1995 World Team Trials, Austin, Texas; 4th-AA
1995 Coca-Cola National Championships, New Orleans, La.; 5th-AA, 3rd-UB, 4th-FX
1995 U.S. Olympic Festival, Boulder, Colo.; 1st-AA & UB, T3rd-BB
1994 NationsBank World Team Trials, Richmond, Va.; 2nd-AA
1994 U.S. Classic, Palm Springs, Calif.; injured—did not complete competition
1993 Coca-Cola National Championships, Salt Lake City, Utah; 3rd-AA & FX, 2nd-UB, 4th-V
1993 U.S. Olympic Festival, San Antonio, Texas; 2nd-AA, BB & FX, 1st-UB
1993 American Classic/World Championships Trials, Murray, Utah; 1st-AA, UB, BB & FX, T3rd-V
1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, Baltimore, Md.; 3rd-AA
1992 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd-AA & FX, 1st-V, T1st-BB, 3rd-UB
1991 World Championships Team Trials, Indianapolis, Ind.; 3rd-AA
1991 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Cincinnati, Ohio; 3rd-AA, 1st-V, T3rd-UB, 4th-BB, 4th-FX
1990 American Classic, Tempe, Ariz.; 1st-AA, V , UB & FX, 6th-BB
1990 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, Denver, Colo.; 4th-AA
1989 American Classic, Dallas, Texas; 2nd-AA, 1st-FX, 3rd-UB, 5th-V, 6th-BB
1989 American Classic, Oakland, Calif.; 1st-AA, UB, FX & BB
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