| These two interesting girls play a see saw of gold and silver. I am placing two US gymanstics sweethearts side by side, the overall women gymnastics heroine, Nastia Luikin and Shawn Johnson,Olympic gold on t balance beam. The two are said to have brought glitters to US but unavoidably it's a pretty rivalry. I made an effort to look over some facts of both gold medalist gymnastics olympians. Hmmm when i first saw Luikin receiving and beaming smiles and shedding tearful joys on cam while wearing her gold medal and watching her countrys flag swaying, I've admired her more than her beautiful as butterfly grace. This changed a bit though when i saw her facial expressions when she landed the two silvers. Awww, if you know what i mean. Wahh and if not try reviewing the event on any uploaded youtube videos. I am honestly kinda distracted and disappointed and somewhat disgusted with her sour facial movements which negated her gymnastics beauty times when it wasn't her gold but silver. This is the reason why i find Shawn a lot more attractive and charming although i still admit, Luikin, talentwise is still really all about the all-around gymanstics gold title she holds. |
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| Born: | October 30, 1989
Moscow, Soviet Union |
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| Hometown: | Parker, TX |
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| Parker, TX
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| Ht: | 5'3" | | | | | | |
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Leaving her mark
Nastia Liukin leaves Beijing with five medals, tying a U.S. record held by Mary Lou Retton (1984) and Shannon Miller (1992). Her Olympic medal haul bests that of her father, Valeri, who "only" has four.
Liukin grabs gold ...
silver (three times) ... and bronze
Liukin captured the Olympic gold medal in the all-around competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics defeating teammate Shawn Johnson who finished in second. She added this medal to the family's trophy case exactly twenty years after her father captured two golds at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She also has a silver medal with the U.S. team and a bronze medal on floor exercise.
In a convoluted tie-breaking procedure, Liukin finished second on uneven bars to China's He Kexin. On beam, she finished second to Johnson.
2008 Olympic lead-up
With one of the most difficult uneven bars routines in the world, Liukin took the American Cup title over Shawn Johnson in March. In April, she won the Pacific Rim Championships. A stumble on floor at Nationals left her in second to Shawn Johnson, but Liukin's Day 2 all-around total proved that when both Liukin and Johnson hit, it's anyone's game. Liukin once again finished second to Johnson at the Olympic Trials, but it was enough to secure a berth on the 2008 Olympic Team.
Russian roots
Liukin was born in Moscow of the former Soviet Union and goes by Nastia, the Russian diminutive of Anastasia. Liukin is fluent in Russian and English, speaks some Spanish and would like to learn French.
All in the family
Nastia's parents are products of the Soviet gymnastics machine. Nastia's father, Valeri Liukin, was a double gold medalist (team, high bar) at the 1988 Seoul Games, and her mother, Anna Kochneva Liukin, was the 1987 rhythmic world champion with clubs. Citing their personal experiences (in wedding photos, Valeri is sporting a cast), Valeri and Anna were reluctant to let Nastia begin formal training. But since they could not afford a babysitter, Nastia tagged along to the gym. From the sidelines, Nastia began imitating the moves of gymnasts she watched and was soon outperforming them. Unable to ignore their four-year-old's natural talent, Valeri and Anna relented.
NBCOlympics.com
Nastia Liukin, 18, has won nine world championships medals, tying Shannon Miller's American record
Better than dad ... and mom
With nine medals from world championship competition, Liukin tied Shannon Miller's record. Liukin also owns more world medals than her parents do -- combined.
A face in the crowd
Typically too nervous to watch her daughter compete, Anna Liukin leaves the competition arena after warm-ups. Such was not the case at the 2007 Worlds, where Anna stayed to watch Nastia during the beam final and cheered loudly enough for Nastia to hear. The support made a difference: after an up-and-down week, Nastia reclaimed her world title on beam.
So close
In 1988, Valeri Liukin missed an all-around gold by one-tenth of a point. Nastia missed the all-round title at the 2005 Worlds by one-thousandth of a point. And though she's a world champion with clubs, Anna Liukin missed out on an all-around medal at the 1987 rhythmic worlds due to a minor error.
Bar none
Liukin's first world title came in 2005 on the uneven bars, and she won back-to-back silver medals (to two different gymnasts) in 2006 and 2007 -- in close, somewhat controversial finishes. Her 2008 routine is among the most difficult in the world and also the most flawlessly executed, a combination that makes it hard to call anyone else the favorite for Olympic gold.
Injury
While training for the 2006 Worlds, Liukin sprained her right ankle on the trampoline, which limited her to a bars-only role in Aarhus, Denmark (she won the silver medal). She had surgery in late 2006. Just prior to the 2007 Pan American Games, Liukin's ankle injury flared up again, leaving her with little preparation time for the 2007 Nationals, where a disastrous first day of competition had many wondering if she was trying to do too much, too soon -- she had only been training floor and vault for about two weeks. Liukin proved her doubters wrong on the second night, storming back to claim third place.
True grit
As a 12-year-old competing in her first junior nationals in 2002, Liukin fell from uneven bars during the first rotation and left the podium in tears without completing her routine, holding her right elbow. She finished the competition, and despite counting a 6.8 score, made her first junior national team. Liukin says this is one of her proudest moments in the sport.
Aspiring actress
A rising freshman at Southern Methodist University in Texas, Liukin plans to study international business and has joked that she and teammate Alicia Sacramone, who is studying design at Brown, will open a boutique-clothing store together. Both are interested in acting, and Nastia had a small speaking role in the 2006 movie,
StickIt!. She starred opposite Nadia Comaneci
in an adidas commercial broadcast during the 2004 Olympic Games.
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| Born: | January 19, 1992
Des Moines, IA |
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| Hometown: | West Des Moines, IA |
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| Residence: | West Des Moines, IA |
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| Ht: | 4'9 | | | | | |
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Gold at last
Iowa's Shawn Johnson -- finally -- won an Olympic gold medal in Beijing when she won the balance beam title over Nastia Liukin, mostly on the basis of her difficulty score.
Silver lining
Johnson captured the silver medal in the all-around right behind Liukin. She entered the competition as a heavy favorite to bring home the gold but was had to settle for second behind her teammate and friend, Liukin, who simply outperformed her that day. Johnson also won a silver medal with the U.S. team and an individual silver on floor exercise.
2008: Olympic lead-up
Johnson entered the American Cup in March with an undefeated season behind her. She debuted -- and fell -- on a new vault (See 'Difficulty Factor,' below) and finished second to U.S. teammate Nastia Liukin. But at Nationals, Johnson hit the vault on both days of competition and topped Liukin in the all-around standings by a point, winning her second U.S. title. She continued her streak by hitting the vault both days at Olympic Trials on her way to finishing first and securing a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team.
World Champion
In 2007, Johnson went undefeated in the all-around at the senior level. In her first senior season, Johnson won the American Cup all-around title and then added three gold medals, including the all-around, at the Pan American Games before taking the U.S. national title in August. She dominated the all-around at the 2007 Worlds, winning by more than a point. Johnson also won a gold medal with the U.S. team and an individual floor exercise title.
Paying tribute
In a nod to her coaches -- and the Games -- Johnson competed at the 2006 U.S. Nationals with her name in Chinese on her leotard. Johnson came up with the idea and researched the characters on the internet. In 2007, she went one better, adding Li, her beam coach, to the sleeve and Chow's Gymnastics, the name of her gym, to her warm-ups.
Animal lover
During study halls, Johnson often walks animal shelter dogs as part of her school's volunteer program. She has two tabby cats, Max and Vern, who were adopted from a local shelter, and a golden retriever named Tucker.
Kimbo #2
Martha Karolyi, the U.S. National Team coordinator, sees the comparisons between Johnson and 1991 world champion Kim Zmeskal and has dubbed her "Kimbo #2." Karolyi also has called her "Pumpkin," the same nickname she and husband Bela had for Zmeskal, who is one of Johnson's idols.
Difficulty factor
Johnson is known for her power and amplitude on all of her skills. She's capable of a vault that only a handful of gymnasts in the world have performed -- a Yurchenko with 2 1/2 twists -- and tumbles on the elevated, 4-inch-wide beam as if it were the floor.
Breakin' out
Johnson burst onto the scene in 2006, making her mark at the U.S. Nationals, where she won the junior title with a score that topped the entire women's field -- seniors included.
Out on a limb
Then an unknown coach, Liang made a gutsy move in 2005 when he submitted a videotape of Johnson's gymnastics to Martha Karolyi, the U.S. national team coordinator with a letter describing Shawn as "a gymnast who could help the U.S. team." Liang kept the letter a secret from Johnson, until one afternoon during the daily announcements when he told his entire team that Johnson had been invited to the Karolyi ranch, where the U.S. national team trains each month. "I was so proud of him," Johnson said. "[Going to the ranch] was something I really wanted, and he made it happen."
Scary start
Johnson scored a zero on her APGAR test (measures newborns' physical condition after delivery); a score of seven or higher is considered "in good health." It didn't slow her for long. Johnson walked at nine months, skipping the crawling stage, and was climbing out of her crib before she was one year old. As a toddler, she would pile all of her toys on the floor as a makeshift ladder to reach the top of the family's entertainment center. From there, she'd jump onto the red leather couch.
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