Ernestine Russell
Russell at the 1954 AAU Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 10, 1938 Windsor, Ontario, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | January 14, 2026 (aged 87) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 153 cm (5 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 52 kg (115 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Artistic gymnastics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ernestine Jean Russell (June 10, 1938 – January 14, 2026), later known by her married names Ernestine Carter and Ernestine Weaver, was a Canadian gymnast and American college gymnastics coach. She represented Canada in the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics. Although Russell won no medals in her two Olympic appearances, she is regarded as Canada's first notable female Olympic gymnast and contributed significantly to the growing popularity of women's gymnastics in Canada and the United States.
Russell later became a college gymnastics coach, leading the women's programs at Clarion State College and the University of Florida, where her teams won three college national championships.