Olympic Gymnast Nastia Liukin Recreates Her Famous Front Flip From 2008 Beijing Olympics
By Jeff Mazzeo on May 6, 2020 at 8:24 AM EDT
Instagram/nastialiukin
Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin dusted off the old balance beam on Wednesday to see if she could recreate her famous front tuck from the Beijing Olympics. Nastia took home Gold and was the 2008 Olympic All-Around champion that year but her skills have not diminished. Dressed in black leggings and a matching sports bra (a little different from her hot pink Team USA leotard), she pointed her toes and stuck the landing as she did the impressive front flip.
Keep scrolling to compare her new front tuck with the gold medal-winning performance from 2008.
Instagram/nastialiukin
"same same, but different... back in my natural habitat today ? @wogagymnastics," Nastia hilariously captioned her comparison post.
Her millions of fans were stoked to see her back in the gym and tried to push her into competing again.
"make a comeback," one excited fan wrote, while another said, "Such beautiful lines."
The star actually went back to her old stomping grounds to practice and have fun at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Texas. It helps if your dad is the owner and a gymnastics champion as well.
Instagram/nastialiukin
As previously mentioned, Nastia is the 2008 Olympic All-Around champion, a five-time Olympic medalist, the 2005 and 2007 world champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 world champion on the uneven bars, so it's safe to say she's pretty accomplished. But her balance beam performance from Beijing was perhaps her most memorable.
Liukin stuck the landing at the end of her beautiful routine and the silent stadium erupted with applause and a huge grin was seen on her father/coach, Valeri Liukin's face. It was a very special moment for American Gymnastics.
Instagram/nastialiukin
Nastia has been spending a lot of time by the pool at her parent's house in Dallas and she has not wasted an opportunity to show off that her gymnast body hasn't diminished either. Earlier this week, she flaunted her bikini bod but thanks to social distancing, her pool toys were the only ones there to take in the fabulous view. Nastia wore a stunning blue suit and accessorized with big, dark shades as she got a little pool time in.
"happy monday from me + all my quarantine friends ?," Liukin joked in the caption of her post.
Instagram/nastialiukin
Liukin may be retired from competitive gymnastics but she is just starting to dabble in the fashion world. Her fans love her outfits and she finally started letting them in on her fashion secrets. Like every good influencer, she spreads the word of her workout schedule and all of her upcoming projects by getting your attention with a thumb-stopping photo.
"you’ve all been asking for it, so we are finally sharing how my stylist @lagabstyle and I accessorize my looks!" she exclaimed in the caption a recent swimsuit pic.
She's learning the game quickly!
Instagram/nastialiukin
One of the few positives to come out of the whole being stuck at home thing has been Nastia's opportunity to spend more time with her parents at her childhood home.
"I’m getting to spend a lot more quality time with my mom than I ever have and it’s been so special! My mom has always been my #1 cheerleader and inspires me in everything I do. ❤️ Work travel normally takes me away from spending more time with my family, so I’m cherishing this time as much as I can."
Remember, her mom is Russian gymnast champion Anna Kotchneva so she's not a bad person to have in your corner.