Kerri Strug's final attempt on the vault at the 1996 Atlanta Games is remembered because it clinched a gold medal for the American team but mostly because Strug did so on one leg. Needing a 9.4 to overtake the Russians, Strug scored a 9.7, nailing the landing despite an ankle injury suffered minutes earlier on her first vault. She collapsed to the mat in pain and was carried away by U.S. coaches as the crowd roared.
"I appreciate that moment more now," says Strug, '01. "It means a lot to me personally and I've realized over the years, as I've gotten older, the impact it had on others. It's been 16 years and people still say 'how's your ankle?'"
Kevin Cool is the executive editor of Stanford.
