Nastia Liukin: A Teenage Gymnastics sensation at the ’08 Beijing Olympics
With remarkable performances, Nastia Liukin received five medals across different events that kept audiences spellbound everywhere. In her own words, “From the moment she puts her fingertips onto the beam and presses herself up into the splits, her long legs unfurling like the petals of a flower, every movement is performance art”. This means that her movements are not just designed for technicality only but also flowery and artistically thrilling. Together with Shawn Johnson who also won several medals, Liukin proved unarguably one of the greatest gymnasts at that time.
Years later, Liukin reflects on this period of her life with great pride. During an interview with The Olympics Channel, she talked about how she felt during the all-around final. “I had this sense of confidence and just like comfort that I have never had in my life competing,” says Nastia indicating moments when there is no fear or nervousness. She expresses herself exceptionally well by revealing how at ease she feels since she knew for years before that eventful day approached what it meant to be ready for it. The energy was really high in that stadium which made it so much more unique thereby adding to its exclusivity. According to her “The energy that was in that arena was just … nothing like it,” making reference to an incredible atmosphere which supported her throughout this very important contest.
The Attempt for London 2012
When asked if she would compete again after Beijing Games Nastia Liukin told CNBC of possible participation in another round of Olympics competitions. She said four years is long but I guess will go by fast enough; thinking about it now seems pretty far away, I am definitely not turning it down now. From her words, we can guess that although the next Olympics were still far off, she may come back to the world stage. The fans and followers who got this message were hopeful for her future participation in the Olympic Games.
In 2012, Nastia Liukin aimed at a return at the London Olympics. Through her determination to compete again, it was clear that she did everything possible to achieve that dream of making it into Team USA. June trials however brought an abrupt end to her aspirations through a tragic incident. Liukin missed her grip while performing on the uneven bars resulting to a shocking fall right onto the mat with her face hitting first. Her father turned coach failed to lend support before she hit the floor. Even though she fell, Liukin managed great strength by getting up and completing her routine. For this bravery and persistence, she received a standing ovation from the audience. Nonetheless, this blunder kept her out thus preventing qualification for London 2012 Olympics game.”
Retirement from Gymnastics
Nastia Liukin decided to retire from gymnastics after failing to qualify for the year ’12 London Olympics. She told ESPN that it was not a failure. “I don’t think I failed as an athlete.” “In any career there are ups and downs. And I feel like right now, I’ve had so many accomplishments,” she said during an interview with the network. According to her, these words underlined her ability to view past the discouragement by recognizing important milestones in her gymnastic pursuits.
After falling during the trials, there were debates over whether Liukin’s father, who is also her coach should have caught her. This occurrence elicited mixed feelings within the gymnastics community and among fans. In her memoirs titled “Finding My Shine”, Liukin addressed this issue head on explaining what happened from her perspective. She confessed that this was not his dad’s fault when she said: “To catch me — or not? My dad only had a split second to make his decision, and up until the last instant even I thought I was going to catch the bar.” (via NBC Sports).
Therefore Liukin has confirmed that she respected and understood him as per his instant decisions of his father in life. “I’ve watched that video of my fall many times; and if I’d been in his shoes, i have got to say that i would have done what he did,” she added. Consequently, this reflection in its memoir further illustrated how much empathy and acceptance Nastia had for those situations.
The Impact of the Standing Ovations
Regardless of taking a tumble during the trials, it was noted that two standing ovations were accorded to Liukin by its spectators. Through these ovations people were able to see how strong Lukins’ spirit was despite all odds against her. “I remember after the show when I had two standing ovations, it was something that I would never forget for my life.” ESPN quoted her as saying; The support and recognition from the crowd were significant highlights in her career, underscoring the respect and love she garnered from fans and fellow athletes alike. These moments of appreciation from the audience became cherished memories that she carried with her even after retiring from gymnastics.
Liukin’s performances during the trials were met by two standing ovations despite falling. They are a proof to this end that Liukin was able to make resilient moves forward while in control of her skills as well as earn even more respect from those who watched them perform on stage or at home on television screens as well (ESPN). In an interview with ESPN, she said that they really stuck with me. This is why their support mattered so much to Liukin because it showed how much fans and athletes admired what she was doing in her career. “These people have shown me that there’s a lot of love out there for me,” Liukin once said about such occasions. Following these instances of endorsement by an audience, Liukin has been known to ever cherish this memory despite having retired from gymnastics.
Transition to Academic Life
Nastia Liukin’s Olympic non-qualification culminating into retirement meant starting over again. Transitioning was ostensibly one of the hardest things ever especially considering, Nastia was a star athlete now living like any other ordinary individual. In 2012, she enrolled at New York University studying Sports Management at School of Professional Studies. Essentially, this marked a turning point towards another phase in professional and personal growth for Liukin.
Life after gymnastics has had its difficulties for Liukin. She was featured in a YouTube video for NYU, where she advertised the school and talked about how she was adapting to her new life. In this video, she openly admitted her fears about this phase. “I kind of felt a little scared going into this new life because I didn’t have a choice really,” said the 2008 Olympic gold medalist as she alluded to how imposed schedules almost controlled her previous life. Being more self-governing necessitated adaptation.
A component of Liukin’s new life that excited her most was the freedom it gave her while residing in New York City. “New York City just allows you to be who you want to be,” she stated appreciatively of the city’s vibrant and varied surroundings. For Nastia, such liberty empowered exploration beyond gymnastics and other aspects of herself. Living in such an active place helped her evolve and redefine herself.
Remaining Competitive
Despite retiring from competitive gymnastics, Liukin’s competitive spirit was alive and well. This mindset carried over into her academic pursuits at NYU. Liukin admitted to being hard on herself academically, experiencing similar exam nerves than those she used to feel before competing. Finally, the pressure overwhelmed her so much that she became too nervous to perform in front of a crowd, just like she would when she was about to participate in any competition. To dispel nervousness and anxiety, I think if I can do that then I can do this, said Liukin. This perspective helped her navigate the challenges of academia by using her experience as an athlete to keep going with school.
In year two thousand and fifteen, during her junior year at NYU, Nastia Liukin again stepped into the national spotlight by competing on the popular television show “Dancing With The Stars.” As a result of this opportunity which lies outside her area of expertise; it allowed viewers to witness different aspects of talent other than those in acrobatics performed on balance beams or floor mats in the Olympics and World Championships but only for a short while. In an interview with Fox 5 New York, however, Nyu made some sort of exemption regarding this show for me. “All I ever said is that I want no special treatment going into school,”she said. However,this was not true after all because every single one of them seemed so enthusiastic and supportive starting from voting for her during reality shows even up onto cheering for Nastia on camera.
A New Partnership with Derek Hough
Liukin partnered with professional dancer Derek Hough on “Dancing With The Stars.” An interesting thing about their relationship is that he had already won five mirror ball trophy wins when she earned five Olympic medals. Their partnership was electric and they enjoyed a successful run on the show. However, they were kicked off the show just before the finale, despite getting top scores from judges. They had a lot of fans who could not believe that they were cut from the race so early.
In an interview with Us Weekly after being evicted from “Dancing With The Stars”, Nastia Liukin expressed her feelings about this matter, She was unhappy with her portrayal on the show. “Of course I would have loved to dance in the finale, but this has nothing to do with that,” she said. I never got a chance to tell my story the way everyone else did; is what she wished for. She felt that the way she was portrayed made her look cold and unrelatable which wasn’t what she wanted to convey through her actions and words.
Liukin stressed the importance of being herself on camera. “For me it was really important just to open up to America and let them see who is real me,”. She wanted people watching at home to know that they are all human beings, not some gods or goddesses walking around because we exist today unlike yesterday’s children whose lives were captured in their mother’s minds as photographs while ours are frozen in time by reality TV cameras. Liukin remained committed towards showing real self when appearing in public places by comparing herself with a famous reality star who told journalists “I can’t go out” because he did not want paparazzi engaging him 24/7/365 throughout his career on E!
Nastia Liukin’s Response to Body Shaming in 2018
Nastia, who had spent most of her early years training for the Olympic Games, underwent a big change after she stopped intensive workouts. Evidently, she put on some weight that unfortunately drew various forms of body-shaming from people online who ought to have known better. These are cruel detractors who heavily criticized her for not maintaining the same shape over time since she was a teenager during competitions.
In an interview with StyleCaster in 2018, Nastia shared how body-shaming damaged her self-esteem. “Yes, I gained weight! But it’s natural because my body is going through this change. It happens to everyone. At least not everyone goes through this in public,”. Consequently, constantly being hounded by strangers and receiving offensive comments negatively affected her self-confidence gravely. She chose baggy clothes as one way to conceal her body and experienced many times when she felt alone.“I didn’t want to go anywhere,” said Nastia during an interview. “I didn’t want to go to events or to dinner or do anything because I was so insecure with myself and my body because of what other people were saying.”
Despite all the negative comments though; Liukin continued exercising regularly in order to stay healthy. In an interview with StyleCaster, she noted that changing one’s mentality was the key towards gaining back confidence. The truth is that she did manage to lose some pounds eventually but even then there was criticism against it. Some people began calling her too skinny. “I am healthy,” she insisted on Today show. On the other hand, it was hard for her when others monitored everything.“It can bring you down, It hurts no matter which way.” “No matter what, you never be what they want,” emphasized Nastia stressing how difficult it is following unrealistic and perpetually changing expectations which others set.
Engagement Announcement
Nastia Liukin’s engagement to her NHL player boyfriend, Matt Lombardi, was made public on Instagram post in 2015 but it has since been deleted. This was revealed through a photo of her wearing an engagement ring and the caption read “So this just happened…” as recorded by JustJared Jr. Not surprisingly, the announcement went viral over social media platforms, much to the delight of their fans. They had initially planned for a wedding ceremony in 2017 but they pushed it ahead to ensure that both wanted it at first sight. The gymnast told People that she postponed the nuptials not because she would not walk down the aisle with him but because she just needed some time.
“My career has been so intense, we both felt it was best to take a breather and focus on spending time with each other.” These words were spoken by Nastia Liukin after they failed to make their relationship work despite trying so hard. After three years of being engaged, they decided not go through with the marriage and called it quits in 2018. In an interview months later, Liukin gave her opinion about their separation. She related how being an Olympic athlete affected her reaction when things ended between them. “As an athlete, if things don’t go your way, if you don’t come out on top, you feel like you’ve somewhat failed. This has always been a big learning lesson for me,” she said, admitting how tough it is dealing with personal failures after having attained such heights in her career life for long periods of time.
Matt Lombardi’s Thoughts
The end of their relationship was also addressed by Matt Lombardi on a 2020 episode of the “#Adulting” podcast. He has no remorse over spending time with her and said, “I don’t have any regrets about my relationship with Nastia.” They are still friends as he says, they are amicable and just doing their own things. In this regard, he said, “We’re amicable and we get along, and we’re, I think, just both doing our own things.” This mutual respect for one another’s lives proved that both of them were old enough to handle an ending engagement in a positive way.
Even after retiring from competing at the Olympic level in gymnastics, Nastia Liukin is still deeply attached to the sport. One major way she remains involved is through being her biggest fan whenever the current crop of gymnasts take to the stage; like Simone Biles who broke all records. During the 2021 Olympics, Liukin also cheered on Biles through Access Hollywood interview which saw her remark, “She can do the most difficult routines and [the]most difficult skills in the world that nobody is doing … She’s so far ahead of the rest of the field but again that’s what makes her in my opinion greatest of all time.” This adoration by Liukin showed how much she valued Biles’ amazing talent as well as why she is ranked among top female athletes ever recorded in this game.
Standing Up For Simone When Times Are Hard
Simone Biles had a tough experience during Tokyo 2021 Olympics where she eventually quit participating in final events due to mental problems. There was some opposition towards this decision though commendable from certain quarters online. Nonetheless, Nastia Liukin supported Biles without wavering even once because she understood how crucial emotional health could be.
Through Instagram post accompanied by an open letter, Liukin expressed deep affection to Simone Biles. Here, she thanked Biles for being a role model and showing the world that it is all right to ask for help when needed. “’Thanks for making the world see that true champions put their physical and mental health first,” wrote To her, no one performance, competition or medal defines her legacy. She also assured her that in Tokyo, her compassionate and courageous acts will never be forgotten. “No one will be remembered for any single routine, competition, or medal. You, however, will undeniably be remembered by many for the compassion and bravery shown here in Tokyo. You came here as a gymnast and you’re leaving as a hero,” ends the speech of Liukin.
Since Nastia Liukin retired from competitive gymnastics, she has been working as a gymnastics commentator on NBC Sports due to her vast knowledge in this field. Her pathway changed after she qualified not in 2012 Olympics but still went there. “Literally the next day my agent gets a call from NBC”, Liukin revealed on Just Women’s Sports podcast. Regarding this changeover she said that; “When one door closes another one opens.” This new opportunity allowed her to stay connected to the sport she loves so much.
Being a Commentator’s Advocate
Speaking during an interview with Access Hollywood before the 2021 Olympics to be held in Tokyo, Liukin was very excited about her role as a commentator. Despite no longer competing, she felt joyous being part of the gymnastics community. “I realized that even if you are not competing anymore, you can still be part of something that you love so much, like gymnastics and Olympics and you are still part of NBC family… That’s what I was thinking about today.” Miss Liukin recalls her younger years when she wondered whether one day she would get to speak on events related to gymnastics. She had always thought athletes were only ones enthusiastically participating in Olympics but was thrilled to know that the broadcasting team was equally impassioned.
In recent years, there have been no public discussions by Liukin concerning her current relationship with NBC. It is likely that she will not commentate on the 2024 Paris Olympics. According to Behind The Mic: NBC announced more than 150 people who will work as commentators during the next games in June 2024 and though surprisingly Nastia’s name was not mentioned among them all. This change signifies an alteration in her association with the network with reasons behind this unknown.
Liukin is featured in Special Forces of 2023
Nastia Liukin made a grand comeback to reality TV by joining the cast of Fox’s “Special Forces” in 2023. This show aims at testing celebrities through various military training exercises that challenge their physical and mental resolve. The first season’s contestants included Liukin who was part of a mixed bag with names like Kate Gosselin, Jamie Lynn Spears (sister to Britney Spears), and Gus Kenworthy.
Liukin faced a number of challenging physical situations throughout her time on “Special Forces.” The most difficult one involved walking across a tightrope stretched over an abyss that was two hundred feet deep. It was just three participants including Liukin that successfully completed this terrifying task showing that she has superb athletic skills. Her gymnastics background played a big role in enabling Liukin remember, “I specifically remember thinking, ‘No, you’re at the Olympic Games right now.’ I literally would just pull myself up and be like, ‘The gold medal is on the line.’”
She decided to quit the program despite her exceptional physical capabilities. However, she disclosed it was after Gus Kenworthy had let her know about how unfairly she was being treated as compared to others within the cast. According to People magazine’s interview with her, this realization made her unhappy and prompted her to place more value on herself than staying on the show. She said; “I feel like I let people’s thoughts about myself dictate my worth, and dictate the internal progress and breakthroughs that I had made up until that point.” Nevertheless, Liukin indicated that leaving had not been wasted experience since it marked a new chapter in life.
Nastia Liukin Cannot Stop Talking About Her Boyfriend Ben Weyand in 2023
Ben Weyand came into Nastia Liukin’s life when she broke up with Matt Lombardi. While Lombardi was an NHL player, Weyand seems to live a more ordinary lifestyle. According to People, Weyand played college football but has now moved on finance as his profession. In February 2024 he was mentioned as the Operations Vice President of Finance at Trive Capital although the company’s website no longer carries his profile. It is not clear why it is removed but it might be because of privacy issues given that he is dating the famous Liukin.
Liukin used Instagram in 2023 to commemorate Weyand’s birthday with a lengthy message. They were seen together in several pictures posted on her account showing them having fun on beaches and inside boats among other casual moments. Her caption about how much she adores him is full of love. “You have taken the phrase ‘to know you is to love you’ to a level I’ve never fully experienced and I am very lucky to get to love you and all of your incredible qualities that make you, YOU – every single day,” she said.
Additionally, Liukin praised Weyand for his playful nature and openness to even themed parties before concluding her tribute with a positive spin about their future together: “Here’s to many more fun days, adventures, sunsets, and maybe even bike rides together. I love you!” The latter indicates how deeply in love Liukin is with him as well as her eagerness for what lies ahead in their journey together with each other’s lives for eternity.
Advice from Nastia Liukin to the 2024 Olympic Team
Despite her retirement and not being named a commentator for the Paris Olympics, Nastia Liukin still remains an active figure within the gymnastics community. During the Gold Meets Golden event that brings together athletes and entertainment stars, she talked to E! News about what Team USA 2024 needs to bear in mind as they prepare for Paris. Notably, Simone Biles, who has made tremendous strides since her debut in Rio de Janeiro at the ’16 Olympics, will be seeking more gold medals.
One of the most important pieces of advice Liz gave to other competitors was not to trouble themselves with online rumors. She underscored that one needn’t be engrossed in social networks but ought to concentrate on self-improvement. “Just as long as you feel like you’re being the best person you can be and you can always stay true to yourself,” she expressed her thoughts. The fact that social media did not exist while she was competing is a relief for Liukin because such platforms ramp up unnecessary pressure.
Additionally, Liukin wanted them (the team) to remain oriented around their Olympics experience. As part of herself there was also one exercise which helped her stay grounded during these years of competitiveness. “When I was competitive, I had a journal that documented how I felt during my epic career,” Liukin disclosed this amazing secret about herself. Every word written in her book thus ended up constituting some sort of lasting testimonial concerning her feelings and encounters day after day in those years where she actively participated…” Be present in the moment.’ It goes by fast.” This piece of wisdom highlights again why it is essential to cherish each second we spend on Earth and keep it alive until our death or the end of a contest.
