Athlete A

00:36:31,147 --> 00:36:33,900 and that are as intelligent and personable. 564 00:36:33,983 --> 00:36:35,943 I mean, it's just the complete package. 565 00:36:37,695 --> 00:36:40,656 Steve Penny was hired as vice president of marketing 566 00:36:40,740 --> 00:36:41,866 when they started out. 567 00:36:41,949 --> 00:36:45,661 He worked with television marketing, then he worked with USA Cycling. 568 00:36:47,330 --> 00:36:49,832 And, um, by the end of the '90s, 569 00:36:49,916 --> 00:36:53,377 the focus of USA Gymnastics just became raising money... 570 00:36:54,045 --> 00:36:55,546 attracting sponsorships 571 00:36:55,630 --> 00:36:58,633 and, you know, making the best out of their Olympic athletes. 572 00:37:00,885 --> 00:37:05,932 Eventually, Steve Penny became the president of USA Gymnastics. 573 00:37:07,683 --> 00:37:12,063 So you had an organization that was run by a sports marketing expert. 574 00:37:12,647 --> 00:37:14,565 And, uh, that's what he cared about. 575 00:37:14,649 --> 00:37:17,401 He cared about marketing this brand. 576 00:37:17,485 --> 00:37:21,572 This is the image of Bela Karolyi the world has grown accustomed to seeing. 577 00:37:22,156 --> 00:37:24,033 The intense, relentless coach 578 00:37:24,116 --> 00:37:27,620 who now turns out championship gymnasts for the United States. 579 00:37:29,872 --> 00:37:33,084 You know, these children are all being advised by adults 580 00:37:33,167 --> 00:37:36,587 as to how they can realize their Olympic dream. 581 00:37:37,296 --> 00:37:43,094 So you're basically using that child's dream to build this brand. 582 00:37:44,887 --> 00:37:48,516 And they were so busy trying to sell that brand... 583 00:37:49,517 --> 00:37:52,478 that they didn't have time for those girls. 584 00:37:54,522 --> 00:37:56,857 Right now, we turn to women's gymnastics 585 00:37:56,941 --> 00:37:59,735 and the United States, which has become a power in recent years, 586 00:37:59,819 --> 00:38:01,904 now looking to become the power. 587 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:09,370 I remember watching the Olympics in my little apartment, um, in 1996. 588 00:38:10,579 --> 00:38:13,374 And Kerri Strug was vaulting. 589 00:38:14,375 --> 00:38:18,170 And it was viewed sort of as this heroic Olympic achievement, 590 00:38:18,254 --> 00:38:21,299 but I saw it differently at the time. 591 00:38:21,882 --> 00:38:26,220 So, Kerri Strug, if she can score 9.493... 592 00:38:26,929 --> 00:38:29,390 then she will win the team gold... 593 00:38:30,016 --> 00:38:30,975 for the USA. 594 00:38:31,058 --> 00:38:33,769 She's the last to go. She's the only one who can do it. 595 00:38:38,357 --> 00:38:39,358 Oh! 596 00:38:40,693 --> 00:38:41,819 This is scary. 597 00:38:41,902 --> 00:38:43,070 She is limping. 598 00:38:43,154 --> 00:38:45,656 Here's the reaction of her parents. 599 00:38:47,325 --> 00:38:51,662 And she falls on the first vault, and she's clearly in a lot of pain. 600 00:38:51,746 --> 00:38:54,457 She's limping back to the other end of the runway. 601 00:38:55,124 --> 00:38:59,378 We learn afterwards that she had been competing on a severe injury. 602 00:38:59,462 --> 00:39:02,006 You can do it. You can do it. 603 00:39:02,715 --> 00:39:05,426 You get two vaults, and the highest score counts. 604 00:39:05,509 --> 00:39:07,887 And Team USA needed that second vault. 605 00:39:08,512 --> 00:39:09,347 All right. 606 00:39:10,222 --> 00:39:12,183 - Go. -Go! Go! 607 00:39:12,725 --> 00:39:15,019 - Come on! Come on! 608 00:39:15,102 --> 00:39:18,314 And she does it. She lands the vault on one foot. 609 00:39:18,898 --> 00:39:20,232 Kerri Strug is hurt. 610 00:39:21,150 --> 00:39:23,527 And she literally crawls off the mat. 611 00:39:24,028 --> 00:39:25,738 She crawls away. 612 00:39:26,155 --> 00:39:27,865 Everyone in this place is... 613 00:39:27,948 --> 00:39:31,577 And Larry Nassar, at the time nobody knew, but is there. 614 00:39:34,246 --> 00:39:35,873 She's being carried off... 615 00:39:36,415 --> 00:39:38,167 by two of the medical technicians. 616 00:39:40,002 --> 00:39:43,714 We have got to find out if she's-- A 9.712! She has done it! 617 00:39:44,423 --> 00:39:48,010 Kerri Strug has won the gold medal for the United States team. 618 00:39:49,428 --> 00:39:51,639 The Russians are in tears. 619 00:39:55,351 --> 00:39:58,729 They got so close, and the Americans took it away from them. 620 00:40:01,315 --> 00:40:04,110 And Bela swept her up and carried her off. 621 00:40:06,237 --> 00:40:08,614 And everybody's cheering her on as this hero, 622 00:40:08,697 --> 00:40:12,785 and all I could think was, "Why are we celebrating this? 623 00:40:13,869 --> 00:40:15,704 Don't pretend she had a choice." 624 00:40:15,788 --> 00:40:17,081 Wave to the people. 625 00:40:18,457 --> 00:40:21,6