To all those who are criticizing the women’s U.S. Olympic gymnastics coaching staff for allowing Kerri Strug to make a vault while injured, I say this: You are missing the point.
What Strug did was not about adult men and women pushing young and innocent teenage girls to perform dangerous stunts while injured; rather, it was about Strug knowingly putting her own health and safety at risk so that the U.S. team might win a gold medal.
In doing so, Strug ultimately sacrificed her personal goal of competing for the all-around title in the 1996 Olympics for the team. In short, she put the needs and desires of the group ahead of her own personal goals.
This type of self-sacrifice is uncommon in today’s selfish world of professional athletics. Personally, I have more respect and admiration for Kerri Strug than for the entire Dream Team combined.
