Steve Hug

Steven Keith "Steve" Hug (born May 20, 1952) is an American former gymnast who was active in the 1960s and 1970s. Hug competed in two Olympic Games and the 1974 World Championships.^[1]

Born in Highland, Illinois, Hug made his first Olympic team at the age of 16, making him the youngest person to represent the U.S. gymnastics team at the event. He was the first American to reach the Olympic individual all-around finals, in the first Olympics that featured the competition.^[2] Hug finished the individual all-around in 36th place, and was a member of the U.S. men's all-around team that posted a seventh-place performance.^[1] The following year, he won the all-around gold medal at the national championships, the first of three all-around titles he earned.^[1] Hug attended Stanford University, where he won the all-around title at the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships three consecutive years from 1972 to 1974.^[2] At the 1972 Summer Olympics, he reached the individual all-around finals, and ended the competition in 31st place. In addition, Hug was again on the all-around team, which finished 10th in the event.^[1]

Hug is a 1995 inductee into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame.^[2] CrossFit's Greg Glassman has credited him for providing him with "inspiration" while he was growing up.^[3]

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