# Kerri Strug's one-legged vault

> An injured-ankle vault became the story of America's first women's team gold in 1996.

- Owner: Kerri Strug
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Sports
- Seed date: 1996-07-23
- Milestone date: 1996-07-23
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 10 (Niche, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Underdog, Real-world spectacle, Platform jump, Controversy, Political adoption

## Summary

Strug vaulted on an injured ankle as the U.S. won team gold. NBC aired delayed footage; press coverage, tours and a planned film followed. Later coverage debated competing while hurt.

## Timeline

- 1996-07-23 — Kerri Strug (TV) — Strug completed her second vault on an injured ankle, and the U.S. women won their first Olympic team gold.
- 1996-07-23 — NBC (TV) — NBC aired the vault on tape delay during a Tuesday telecast that it estimated reached 99 million people.
- 1996-07-23 — Milestone: U.S. women’s gymnastics team (TV) — The U.S. women won their first Olympic team gold; this date anchors the medal milestone.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/kerri-strug-1996

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Kerri Strug's one-legged vault.” Case HIS-01429. Spread Score v1.2: 10/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01429