Landing on My Feet: A Diary of Dreams by Kerri Strug

[QuietColours]

It's an interesting question. If Martha had told her, "You aren't going again, we won," would Kerri have been obedient or tried for the AA? I think she would have done it if Martha had even told her, "You don't need to go again, we won." But if it had been phrased as an order? How much Kerri's desire for the AA and an individual medal have weighed against a direct order from her coach? And what if it were Bela, not Martha?

 

[Passion]

I think if Moceanu had hit both vaults and it was completely obvious to everyone that they had already won, Kerri would still vault again to try for AA and VT finals.

 

[KristyJ]

I know this is beating a dead horse over the years, but there's always that "did Kerri have a choice to do that second vault?" debate that resurfaces every once in awhile.
From reading these summaries, it really doesn't sound like she did. She would have preferred to save her leg for AA. And it sounds like she relied solely on Bela to tell her what to do, what to think, how hard to push.
However, I remember from my (much lower level) competition days that I would have done a second vault in a heartbeat. I remember breaking two toes on beam and then slapping some tape on my foot so I could 'finish the meet', even if my coaches told me not to. It wasn't maybe my best quality as a gymnast, but I was stubborn as heck.

I once popped a hip slightly out and back in and got a good footlong scrape with a glancing fall from the beam, and still got up and did my dismount. And I remember congratulating myself for being tough. The 90s just had that ethos to it, for better or worse.