that team - none of us could have done it alone; I know that!
“There were seven women on ”
- Kerri Strug, Member of the United States
Gymnastics Team, 1996 Olympic Gold Medal Winner – Women’s Team Competition
Prior to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the United States Women’s Gymnastics Team had never won a gold medal in the team competition. That is, until the “Magnificent Seven” came along. In a sport that was long dominated by the Russians and the Romanians, seven incredible young ladies, each with their own intense level of dedication, achieved what had once been thought of as only a dream. In what will long be remembered as the pinnacle moment of the games, Kerri Strug stuck the landing on her second vault attempt while having to land on only one leg. Strug had fallen during her first attempt and injured her ankle. The result was a score of 9.712 and a gold medal for Team USA. While the landing by Ms. Strug is what most people likely remember about the ’96 Olympics, she did not win an individual gold medal during the games that year. Her magnificent individual effort was to help her team claim victory where it had eluded the United States in the past. In fact, the only member of the Magnificent Seven to win gold individually that year was Shannon Miller for her performance on the balance beam. Seven individuals all focused on the same goal and understanding that success is only achieved when everyone is both committed and performing.
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