Nastia Liukin Biography

Nastia Liukin, born October 30, 1989, is a Russian-American former artistic gymnast who competed at the highest international levels. She earned the 2008 Olympic all-around title and secured five Olympic medals, including world championships in 2005 and 2007 on the balance beam and 2005 on the uneven bars. Liukin matched Miller's record by earning the most medals for an American gymnast in a single non-boycotted Olympic Games. In October 2011, she announced her return to competitive gymnastics with the goal of qualifying for a second Olympic team. She did not earn a spot on the 2012 Olympic team and officially retired from gymnastics on July 2, 2012. She is the daughter of two former Soviet Olympic champions: 1988 gold medalist Valeri Liukin and 1987 World clubs champion Anna Kotchneva. In 1994, her father co-founded the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, Texas, where she later trained and developed her elite skills.