Ernestine Jean Russell-Carter (-Weaver), born June 10, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario

Windsor, Ontario

Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

, Canada, was a female Olympic athlete in 1956 and 1960. Although Russell won no medals in her two summer Olympic appearances, she is regarded as Canada’s first female Olympic gymnast.

History

Ernestine "Ernie" Russell learned ballet early on from her mother who taught dance training as an instructor at the British Royal Academy. As her training progressed, it became apparent that she lacked the body to become a ballerina.

Bernie Newman, a former member of Provincial Parliament and the Russells' neighbor, had formed a Vocational Boy’s Gymnastics team, and suggested to Russell that she try the trampoline. Ernie was quoted as saying “I got on, and I never got off”.

Russell would compete for the first time when she was 13 and won 9 Canadian Championships. Newman would be a leading force that would encourage her throughout the years hoping that he would one day see her, alongside her male partner Ed Gagnier, in the Olympic Games.

In 1956, Russel, at age 17, was allowed to compete in her first Olympic competition in Melbourne, Australia. Although her routine was ill-prepared, she performed exceptionally in her routines which included the floor exercise, the balance beam and the vault. She finished less than a point behind the gold-medal winner but won no medal herself.

After Russell graduated from Kennedy High School in 1956 she continued to pursue her focus in gymnastics. In 1959 she won 5 gold medals for the U.S. in the Pan-Am Games. In 1960, she was again invited to participate in an Olympic competition, this time in Rome. As in Melbourne, Russell fell shy of a medal.

Russell was awarded the Velma Springstead Trophy a record three times during the years 1955-57, as being the country’s female athlete of the year.

Accomplishments

In the third Pan-American Games that took place in Chicago in 1959, Russell earned a first-place medal which made her the first Canadian medal winner in an international gymnastics competition.

After her Olympic experiences, Russell went on to earn a degree in physical education and dance from Michigan State University. She taught high school for five years. Russell was also head coach for 13 years at the University of Florida

University of Florida

The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

, and prior to that she held a coaching position at Clarion State for 10 years.

She made a large impact upon joining the UF team which, with her as head coach, earned one national title and 11 consecutive NCAA championship appearances. Her team went 243-48 during her 23-year career as head coach. Russell was also named Coach of the Year in 1982, when Florida won the AIAW gymnastics championship. UF also won five SEC titles and in 1989 and 1992 Russell was named SEC Coach of the Year.

Olympic results

Games	Age	City	Sport	Event	Team	Finish
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Women's Floor Exercise	Canada	20T
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Women's Horse Vault	Canada	45
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Women's Uneven Bars	Canada	61
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Women's Balance Beam	Canada	61
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Women's Individual All-Around	Canada	56
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Women's Floor Exercise	Canada	86 QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Women's Horse Vault	Canada	75 QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Women's Uneven Bars	Canada	76 QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Women's Balance Beam	Canada	68 T QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Women's Individual All-Around	Canada	76

Women's Floor Exercise
Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit Finish	Points
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	20T	18.200
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	86QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Qualifying	86	17.433

Women's Horse Vault
Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit Finish	Points
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	45	17.833
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	75 QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Qualifying	75	17.00

Women's Uneven Bars
Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit Finish	Points
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	61	16.133
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	76 QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Qualifying	76	17.466

Women's Balance Beam
Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit Finish	Points
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	61	15.766
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	68T QR
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Qualifying	68T	17.033

Women's Individual All-Around
Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit Finish	Points
1956	18	Melbourne	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	56	67.933
1960	21	Rome	Gymnastics	Canada	Final Standing	76	68.932