Olympic athletes are some of the most dedicated people in the world, but there are some competitors who went to extreme lengths to achieve their dreams and make their countries proud.
By the 1996 Olympics, American Kerri Strug had been training for 16 years, having started gymnastics at the tender age of three.
到1996年奥运会时，美国选手Kerri Strug已经训练了16年，她在3岁时就开始练习体操。
The US ladies team had gotten off to such a strong start in the Games that the press dubbed them The Magnificent Seven, but as the competition heated up it soon became clear that the Russians were a force to be reckoned with.
美国女队在奥运会上开局如此强劲，以至于媒体称她们为“豪勇七姣龙”，但随着比赛的白热化，很快就清楚地表明俄罗斯是一支不可忽视的力量。
Despite their best efforts, the US lead had evaporated by the time it came to their final gymnast Kerri Strug. Strug had sprained her ankle during her first vault, and when she realised that she was to be called upon again, she earnestly asked her coach, “Do we need this?”
尽管他们尽了最大努力，但当他们的最后一名体操运动员Kerri Strug出场时，美国队的领先优势已经消失了。 Strug在第一次跳马比赛时扭伤了脚踝。当她意识到自己又要上场时，她诚恳地问教练:“我们需要这个吗？”
The US hope for the gold relied solely on Kerri’s final vault, and so she limped towards the runway for her second attempt. Her performance was incredible, and she even managed a near perfect dismount, landing on both feet. It was the first time since 1948 that the Russians hadn’t taken home the team gold.
美国的夺金希望完全依赖于Kerri 的最后一跳，所以她一瘸一拐地走向跑道进行第二次试跳。她的表现令人难以置信，她甚至做到了近乎完美的下马，双脚着地。这是自1948年以来，俄罗斯人第一次没有把团体金牌带回家。
It instantly became clear that Kerri was badly hurt. So much so that she collapsed onto her knees and needed assistance just to leave the platform. The team’s coach, Bela Karolyi, carried Kerri onto the medals podium and after the ceremony, she was hospitalised for a third-degree lateral sprain and tendon damage. “People think these girls are fragile dolls. They’re not. They’re courageous,” Karolyi told the gathered press.
很明显Kerri受了重伤。她倒在地上，需要人搀扶才能离开跳台。教练贝拉·卡罗利(Bela Karolyi)将Kerri抱上领奖台，仪式结束后，她因三度侧向扭伤和肌腱损伤住院。“人们认为这些女孩是脆弱的娃娃。他们不是。他们很勇敢，”卡罗利告诉记者说。
Stug became a national hero, meeting with President Bill Clinton, appearing on talk shows across the US and making the cover of Sports Illustrated. Speaking to the media after the win, she said, “This is the Olympics. This is what you dream about from when you’re 5 years old. I wasn’t going to stop.”
Kerri Strug成了民族英雄，受到克林顿总统的接见，出现在美国各地的脱口秀节目中，并成为《体育画报》的封面人物。获胜后，她对媒体说: “这是奥运会。这是你5岁时的梦想。我不会停下来的。”
