Nastia Liukin

Career overview

Anastasia Valeryevna Liukin, also known as Nastia Liukin, is a Russian-born American former artistic gymnast. Born on October 30, 1989, in Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR, she is the daughter of former Soviet champion gymnasts Valeri Liukin and Anna Kotchneva. Liukin achieved significant success in gymnastics, including winning the individual all-around gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At those Games, she won five medals, which was more than any other gymnast at the event. Her gymnastics career also includes being the 2005 and 2007 world champion on the balance beam, the 2005 world champion on the uneven bars, and a four-time all-around U.S. national champion.

In addition to her gymnastics career, Liukin has worked in acting. Her known credits include appearances in Beijing 2008: Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Stick It, and Dancing with the Stars. She is recognized for her achievements as one of the most decorated U.S. gymnasts in a single Olympic Games. Her accomplishments include nine World Championship medals, seven of which were individual, a total that tied her with Shannon Miller for the third-highest tally of World Championship medals among U.S. gymnasts.