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Nastia Liukin
- 2005 All-Around U.S. national champion
- Five-time Pan American Games medalist (2003)
- Four-time Junior Pan American Games medalist
- 2005 American Cup champion on the balance beam
- Finished first in the all-around, uneven bars and balance beam at the 2005 U.S. Classic, second in floor exercise and fourth in vault
- Is the 2003, 2004 Junior National all-around, uneven bars, balance beam and floor champion
- Won 20 all-around titles in 31 competitions since qualifying for elite status in 2002
- Started gymnastics when she started walking
- Both parents were gymnasts and are now coaches … her father won four medals at the 1988 Olympics, two of which were gold, and her mother is the 1987 rhythmic gymnastics World champion
- Favorite gymnasts are Lilia Podkopayeva and Svetlana Khorkina … food are kiwi fruit and mango … color is pink
- Says her dad is her role model because he has had the experience of the Olympics and is a wonderful coach and dad
- Nicknames: Nastia, Nast (her full name is Anastasia)
- Enjoys reading, shopping, snow skiing and spending time with her friends
- Wants to become a marine biologist someday
Tumbling and twisting runs in the Liukin family. Nastia’s father and coach, Valery, was the first gymnast to tumble a triple back salto on floor exercise and is still a skill that is rarely seen in competition since. Nastia is the first female gymnast to complete a quad twist on the floor exercise at a competition. "She's such a good twister and we wanted to have a unique skill," Valery Liukin told International Gymnast Magazine Online after the 2005 U.S. Classic. "This is what it is all about, trying it in competition. She's learning where she's at (landing). She does them differently in practice, but in competition she is two feet higher, so she needs to learn where the landing is. We're pleased with how today went."
Related Links
Photo gallery: 2005 U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Q&A: Nastia Liukin prior to 2005 Worlds
Q&A: Up-and-coming gymnasts talk about their career
Official Web site: Nastia Liukin
On the quad twist at the 2005 U.S. Classic: "I am so glad I did the quad today," Liukin told International Gymnast Magazine Online. "It felt great. I got it out of my system and now I know I can do it. It's a lot different doing it in competition than in practice because there is more pressure."
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Height: 5'
Born: 10/30/1989
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Resides: Plano, Texas
Sport: Gymnastics
Event: Favorite: Uneven Bars
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