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'Nothing could exceed Atlanta' Kerri Strug on the 2000 U.S. women's gymnastics team
Gymnast Kerri Strug's final vault helped the U.S. upset Russia and capture gold in the women's team competition at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Despite an injured left ankle, Strug nailed the fault to seal the victory for the Magnificent Seven. CNNSI.com asked Strug, currently a communications student at Stanford University, about this year's team - which finished fourth in Sydney -- and what it's like to train for Olympic competition.
Assessment: The U.S. women would have needed a phenomenal day and for one of the other teams to have slipped up in the finals to have won a bronze. They barely made it to the finals, and gymnastics is very political. So you are aren't going to win out of nowhere. The judges need to see you nail routines.
The team:
Amy Chow -- She had a lot of difficulty in the prelims. It was ironic that she should slip up on the bars after winning a silver medal in Atlanta.
Jamie Dantzscher -- I am a big fan. She has a tough attitude. She has suffered a bit due to her demeanor. Bela (Karolyi) took her off the bars. She has a little too much power.
Dominique Dawes -- She has really been around. She doesn't have the difficulty we need on bars.
Kristen Maloney -- She is the backbone of American gymnastics. She can do the routines.
Elise Ray -- She made a few errors in the prelims. She shouldn't be falling off.
Tasha Schwikert -- She was really impressive in the trials. She really came out of nowhere. I was surprised that she was sent in on the bars at the prelims, but she did well.
On picking the 2000 team:
This is not a bad team, but gymnastics is just really high profile. Each time we step out to compete it is critical.
Bela Karolyi picked this team and the selection process was a big show. But why have the trials if not to determine the team? I think picking the team in a subjective way is based on a "win at all costs" philosophy. When nerves are on the line at the trials, and you perform, you should make it. With the new selection process we are still in sixth place (after the preliminaries.) Bela is the best coach there is, but I think doing it this way is crappy. It may be the smart thing, but is it really the right thing?
On Bela Karolyi:
When you train with Bela, compete for Bela, he doesn't give you choices. When you sign on with him you subject yourself to that. The media forgets he is on our side. When you compete for him you are not let out of his sight. You eat together. He tells you what to wear. It's very structured. That's how the girls want it.
Bela makes the Olympics exciting and entertaining. He knows how to work the media. I don't like to see the team do bad, but I wonder if Bela can carry us forever. We are going to need someone else to keep growing U.S. gymnastics.
The night before a competition Bela is really positive. All the gymnasts have a great amount of respect for him. If he believes in you, then you believe in you. When you get enough repetitions all of the work becomes second nature. There are no shortcuts. Bela makes you feel strong and light with all the conditioning and a good diet. He makes you feel good about yourself. It's different for all of the girls. Some girls don't need as much confidence. He tears them down to shape them. It is who he is, what he has done. But you look at what he has accomplished and you know, Bela is the man.
What it's like four years later:
I thought I'd have mixed emotions returning to the Olympics to watch and not to compete. But I knew after 1996 it was time for me to do other things. Nothing could exceed Atlanta. I was in my prime. Since then I have developed and grown up. That's what life is all about. Not having all my eggs in one basket was always my plan. I always had a strong support system. Now I am a 22-year-old college student enjoying going out, dancing, having fun with friends. I had a certain amount of time to accomplish my dreams and I did.
The future of U.S. gymnastics:
Other women's sports are coming up right now, like soccer, basketball and tennis. Little girls are going to the fields instead of to the gyms. I just think gymnastics is the best because it requires the greatest discipline. But there's no pro circuit, and the career of a gymnast cannot last for long. We need to do something to stay a step ahead. The Olympics is the pinnacle for us, and this is it.
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