Two-time World Champion and four-time U.S. National Champion, Anastasia Liukin was named the 2005 Gymnast of the Year by the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. At 19, the 5′2″, 92-pounder is a Senior International Elite gymnast, the highest level a competitive athlete can achieve, and definitely one to watch on the road to Beijing.
Russian born Liukin (who goes by the nickname “Nastia”) moved to the U.S. with her parents when she was just two years old. With former gymnast parents who just happened to work as gymnastic coaches, the gym literally became her playground with uneven bars taking the place of monkey bars. Given their first hand knowledge of how tough competitive gymnastics can be, Liukin’s parents did little to encourage her, but her enthusiasm and raw talent made her an obvious candidate. By the age of six she was already competing and by 12 she had reached Elite status and was training upwards of 25 hours per week.
The 2002 U.S. Classic was Liukin's breakthrough competition. She entered the event under the radar but left with the all around bronze, the silver medal on balance beam and the top five placings on both uneven bars and floor exercise. It was the beginning of a dominant Junior International Elite career that saw Liukin twice crowned US National Champion, win four individual Junior Pacific Alliance gold medals and place five times at the Senior Pan American Games. She was undefeated in junior all around competition from January 2003 until becoming a senior in January 2005 at which time she took a brief leave to join the cast of the gymnastics-themed Disney film Stick It.
Liukin is the first gymnast ever to attempt the quadruple twist in a floor routine. Ironically enough, her father had a “first ever” with his triple back salto which has rarely been performed in competition since. Liukin graduated special athlete-in-training high school in 2007 and is now enrolled as a freshman at Southern Methodist University. Her high profile has lured an impressive list of corporate sponsors which include Visa, AT&T, Longines and Adidas. She also has her own line of gymnastics equipment, which includes mats and balance beams for beginners in her signature pink. Liukin hopes to pursue business or acting when she retires from competitive gymnastics.
