Welcome to the newsroom archive. Below you will find a complete archive of new items posted on Nastia's website dating back to 2004. In order to ensure that this page loads quickly and efficiently all photographs originally posted in new items have been removed. All of these photographs can be seen in Nastia's photo galleries.
A Message from Nastia 28 April 2008
Nastia posted this entry on her myspace blog yesterday. She wanted to include it on her website as well to make sure that all her fans received her message!
hey everyone!
Just wanted to thank you all for your support so far this year! You guys are amazing! I have gotten soooo much fan mail, and I am trying so hard to at least send everyone an autographed picture back!!
I am so excited for this year! 100 DAYS UNTIL THE OLYMPICS GAMES OFFICIALLY START. Isn't that crazy?? Training is going good, and I'm ready for this summer!!!! Outside the gym I'm enjoying spending as much time as possible with friends & family. Last night me and Carly went to the Avril Lavigne concert! It was a blast!!! I suggest you go see it if she comes to your city ;) OHH and everyone go buy Carly's new single on i-TUNES!!!!!! She is amazing and I'm very excited for her starting her singing career!
xoxo <3nast
SEGA U.S. Cover Athletes for the Beijing 2008™ Olympic Video Game 15 April 2008
Nastia will join Amanda Beard (swimming), Tyson Gay (Track and Field) and Reese Hoffa (Track and Field) as the US cover athletes for the Beijing 2008™ Olympic video game set for release in the Summer. “These talented individuals epitomize what it is to be an Olympic athlete and we are extremely excited to have them grace the cover of our Beijing 2008™ video game,” said Sean Ratcliff, VP of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “With Beijing 2008™, SEGA is striving to develop the very best Olympic video game ever and we couldn’t be more proud to have them represent our game and our country this summer.”
Beijing 2008™ features realistic next-gen visuals and will provide players with an authentic simulation of over 35 events (the most of any Olympic video game) from the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, giving gamers the opportunity to compete in, and get an early look at, many of the official venues. The online functionality of all three platforms will ensure that for the very first time, fans of the Olympic Games will be able to experience the thrill of competing against other gamers across the globe in the world’s greatest sporting event. The game will also incorporate innovative control schemes that allow novice gamers to learn how to play the game, while providing experienced gamers the chance to set new records.
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s Web site is located at sega.com. Click on the preview of the cover to see a larger version. For more information click here to read the press release.
Two More Medals in San Jose 30 March 2008
Competition at the Pacific Rim Championships concluded this evening in San Jose with the gymnasts competing in individual event finals. Nastia competed in the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise finals. She began her night on uneven bars where she counted a fall on her gienger and also had to improvise the second half of her routine. Despite the errors, her score of 15.225 (7.4 A Score) was good enough for equal second place with Christina Vaculik of Canada. Teammate Jana Bieger took gold scoring a 15.550. On beam she performed her routine to a similar standard as she had shown in the all around and team final scoring a 16.175 (6.6 A Score) easily winning the gold medal ahead of China's Qiushuang Huang (15.675) and teammate Bieger (15.525). First up in the floor final, Nastia had problems with her first tumbling pass, both putting her hand down and stepping out of bounds. She went through the rest of her routine without major error to score a 14.625 (6.0 A score) earning equal 4th place with China's Qiushuang Huang. Teammate Darlene Hill won her first individual international gold medal scoring 15.425 ahead of Australian's Daria Joura (15.300) and Russia's Anna Myzdrikova (15.050). Congratulations to the entire team who collectively won 15 event final medals. Special mention to Nastia's WOGA teammate Rebecca Bross who won three more individual gold medals in the junior division on vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Full results for the competition can be viewed here. This competition will air on NBC 13 April from 4:30pm, though it is likely that event finals will not be shown in the broadcast.
Double Gold At Pacific Rim Championships 29 March 2008
A very successful evening for team USA and Nastia at the Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose. Nastia and her teammates (Jana Bieger, Rebecca Bross, Rebecca Clark, Darlene Hill and Samantha Shapiro) dominated the team final scoring 245.275 to easily win the gold medal ahead of Canada (233.475) and China (233.075). Nastia won her third straight Pacific Rim all around title (she was the Junior Champion in 2004, and shared the senior title in 2006) scoring 62.850. Teammate Jana Bieger took silver (59.925) with the bronze medal awarded to Australia's Daria Joura (59.200).
Nastia's best performances came on bars (16.650 / 7.7 AA score) and balance beam (16.400 / 6.6 A score). She was awarded a near perfect 9.800 from the B Panel for her balance beam routine. She also performed strongly on vault and floor earning a 15.00 (5.5 A score) for her Yurchenko 1.5 and a 14.800 (6.0 A score) on floor where she received a 0.3 neutral deduction for going out of bounds on her third tumbling pass. She elected to water down her routine for this competition, removing the front full twist from her opening tumbling pass. These performances have qualified her to the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise event finals tomorrow night. A special mention for Nastia's WOGA teammate Rebecca Bross who won the Junior all around title and qualified to multiple event finals as well. Full results for the competition can be viewed here. This competition will air on NBC 13 April from 4:30pm.
Pacific Rim Championships 22 March 2008
Nastia has been at the National Team Training Center this week for the National Team Training Camp. Following this camp she has been named on the Pacific Rim Championships (formally known as the Pacific Alliance Championships) team. The Pacific Rim Championships has a unique team competition with each country being represented by up to three senior and three junior athletes. All Around and Event Final awards will be presented seperately. Joining Nastia on the team are Jana Bieger, Darlene Hill (seniors), Rebecca Bross, Samantha Shapiro and Jordyn Wieber (Juniors). Olivia Courtney is the alternate. The team will continue their preparation for the event at the Karolyi Ranch in the coming days before travelling to San Jose for the start of competition on 28 March. The competition features the best gymnasts of the Pacific Rim including amongst others teams from China, Australia, Canada, Russia and Japan. NBC will air highlights from the competition on 13 April from 4:30pm. You can find out more information about the Pacific Rim Championships by visiting the official website. Good luck Nastia and all of the US delegates.
Media Watch 8 March 2008
Following her performance at the American Cup, INSIDEGYMNASTICS.COM ran an editorial about Nastia. The contents of the this article can be seen below. A reminder that fans who order a three year subscription to INSIDEGYMNASTICS.COM currently receive a free poster of Nastia selected by popular vote earlier this year. The upcoming May / June issue will include the annual 50 Most Photogenic List.
In advance of competitions, reporters are invited to “Media Day” events to interview athletes, coaches and other officials in a preview of the competition. And after the competition concludes, reporters gather in “Mix Zone” interview areas to talk to the athletes about their performances. At the start of this quad, during these media opportunities, as the athletes came out to talk, 90% of the reporters would rush to Nastia Liukin as the first athlete to interview. What does it feel like to be the "next great gymnast" in the sport? Are you worried about following in the footsteps of your mother and father who achieved greatness in gymnastics (rhythmic and artistic, respectively)? Are you destined to be the next Olympic Champion?
Just like press conferences you see on television, the attention can be overwhelming. Multiple questions are being throw out at the same time, and the attention and the questions themselves can elevate expectations and pressures. But even at a young age, Liukin always seemed to handle the situations with composure, grace and a smile.
As Liukin was winning titles at the national and world level, the press attention – and expectations – grew stronger and stronger. Immediately after winning her first senior national title, the questions were already pointing ahead to Beijing 2008. As some reporters asked me about my expectations for Liukin for Beijing – as far back as 2003 and 2004 before the Athens Olympics – I always answered that she had all of the qualities that give her the potential to be an Olympic Champion, but that we should all enjoy the process along the way as well as the beauty of her gymnastics and what she brings to the sport. But often in the mainstream media, the attention our sport receives is primarily focused on that one event that comes along every four years.
But back to those Media Day and Mix Zone opportunities…as Liukin struggled with an ankle injury that limited her training and eventually required surgery to repair, the questions from reporters went in a different direction. Will you be too old to compete in Beijing? Can your body handle the requirements of this new Code? Are you going to transition to become an event specialist?
Not only was Nastia bombarded with these questions, but her father and coach Valeri was grilled as well. I think sometimes they felt like they were on trial, and you could see the frustration in their eyes at times. Throughout, they remained unified in their front, gracious, and composed throughout the process. Time and time again, Nastia adamantly insisted that she was an all-around gymnast and spoke of her love for the sport. So much so, she has noted multiple times, that her plan is not to compete through 2008 and be done, but to continue on beyond that.
Still, the media coverage questioned her ability to continue as an all-around gymnast and wondered how she would hold up en route to Beijing. What didn’t change was Nastia’s love of the sport, her dedication to training, her confidence in herself and her belief that she was an all-around gymnast.
In advance of this year’s American Cup, Liukin didn’t hold back on how the coverage and the questions affected her during her injury and recovery. “I’m not going to lie,” she told me. “It hurt. Going into Nationals [in 2007], I knew that I wasn’t fully prepared. I didn’t have the training time I needed…. My ankle was still hurting and I was trying to figure out the best way to train around it. I just knew that I wasn’t fully prepared, but I had to go out and give it my best at that point. I’m glad that at Worlds I had a chance to show that I really still am an all-around gymnast.”
One person that never gave up on her as an all-around gymnast throughout this entire process was National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi. When media outlets, some fans, and even some coaches wondered if Liukin should be used as an event specialist at the 2007 Worlds, Karolyi remained steadfast in support of Liukin as an all-arounder. “When you have someone of this talent and this potential, you don’t give up on them as an all-arounder,” Karolyi told Inside Gymnastics leading to the 2007 World Championships. “Some people want to write her off, but that is not right.”
In training the day before the American Cup, Liukin told us that her ankle wasn’t 100%, but that it felt better than it had in quite a long time and that she’s learned how to train effectively with the ankle. She also talked about how invigorating it was to be able to train at a normal pace again and to be able to focus on adding skills into her routines. In the competition, Liukin competed new skills and combinations on bars, beam and floor. She’s also training a Yurchenko double full vault onto soft surfaces that she hopes to introduce to competition this summer. While most of the skills and routine composition result from a collaborative process with her father, she also comes up with ideas on her own. While her father was away at an international competition with WOGA teammate Rebecca Bross, Liukin tried a pike front to one foot landing to scale on beam that she nailed within the first couple of attempts. “I had someone at the gym video it that same day and I emailed it to my dad while he was away with Rebecca,” she told me. “He emailed me back later that night and said ‘Wow, that looks good! I like it.’ I don’t think anyone has done it in competition in a piked position, so I think I’m the first one to do it. Not that that’s really important to me, but it is kinda cool!”
After the competition Saturday, where Liukin, 2007 World Champ Shawn Johnson, and World Championship team member Samantha Peszek went 1-2-3 in an American sweep of the awards podium, the throngs of reporters once again gathered in that famous Mix Zone to quiz the competitors on their performances. Liukin once again fielded questions on a wide variety of topics, from her debut of a new bar routine to her “rivalry” on the competition floor with Johnson to how it felt to kick off the Olympic year with a victorious outing. Yes, the questions had changed this time. No more questioning her as an all-arounder. And no more questioning if the body would hold up. But there was one thing that remained constant, dating back to those events in 2003 and 2004: Liukin’s grace, composure and the smile on her face.
Written By:Chris Korotky
American Cup Champion 1 March 2008
Congratulations Nastia - 2008 American Cup Champion. Nastia won her second American Cup all around title this afternoon in New York! She began her competition with an excellent performance on vault (15.025 / 5.5 A Score) - electing to not compete her new vault at this event. Nastia had planned to unveil a new routine on the uneven bars with a 7.7 A Score however she had some problems on the aparatus, having to improvise her routine a little and landing her double front half out dismount a little low. Still her routine still earned her the top score of the day on bars (16.600 / 7.5 A Score). She concluded her competition with two excellent performances on balance beam (16.200 / 6.6 A Score) and floor exercise (15.600 / 6.2 A Score), debuting new skills and combinations on both of these events. Her all around total of 63.475 (her best all around score since prelims of the 2006 VISA Championships) was enough to secure her second American Cup all around title ahead of teammates Shawn Johnson (2007 World All Around Champion) and Samantha Peszek. Full results for the competition can be viewed here. Click here to watch an interview with Nastia after the competition. Pictures and video from the competition will follow soon! Congratulations Nastia!
WOGA Classic / AT&T Promotion 17 January 2008
The 11th Annual WOGA Classic will take place at the Frisco Convention Centre on the weekend of the 2-3 February. One of the largest and longest running International Elite Competitions the WOGA Classic features elite, optional and compulsary competition. In 2008 over 800 athletes, including 38 elites, will travel to Texas to take part. Although Nastia is not competing, she will be making an appearance to sign autographs and take photographs with fans at the elite session on Saturday evening. For more information, including ticket sales, please visit WOGA.net
In other news AT&T are offering gymnastics clubs in the United States the opportunity to have Mary Lou Retton (1984 Olympic Champion), Nastia or David Durante (2007 National Champion) visit their facility. The overall winner of the USA Gymnastics Behind the Team Club Promotion will have their visit with Mary Lou Retton appear in an upcoming episode of USA Gymnastics Behind The Team. In addition to the visit by each athlete, all winners will receive USAG merchandise autographed by Nastia. For more information about the promotion including entry details, click here to visit attblueroom.com. Look out for the next addition of USA Gymnastics Behin the Team which will feature athlete and parent coach relationships including Nastia and Valeri.
Nastia's next event will the American Cup to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 1 March. Also scheduled to compete for the US women are Shawn Johnson and Shayla Worley. More information about this competition will be posted in February.
Update: The USOC named the women's world championships gymnastics team as the Team of the Year. The USOC SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1974 to the top overall male and female athlete from within the USOC member organizations. The team award was added in 1996 and the Paralympian of the Year was awarded for the first time in 2004. Winners are selected from the individual female and male athlete of the year and team of the year nominations of the USOC and National Governing Bodies for the Olympic, Pan American, Affiliated and Disabled Sports Organizations within the U.S. Olympic Movement. Congratulations to all of the girls.
Fans Choice 25 November 2007
The January/February 2008 issue of Inside Gymnastics Magazine will feature a "Kicking Off the Olympic Year" theme. To celebrate the countdown to Beijing 2008, Inside Gymnastics is including a poster of Nastia with the January/February issue for subscribers only. Gymnastics fans will have the chance to select the picture which will become the poster. Voting is currently underway on InsideGymnastics.com with 7 different options to choose from. Cast your vote and look for your polybagged poster with the January/February issue. Be sure and subscribe or renew today so you don't miss out on the commemorative poster!
A Message from Nastia 1 November 2007
Nastia wanted to send the following message out to her fans after receiving her virtual card on her birthday!
hey,
Just wanted to thank you ALL for the wonderful birthday wishes you left me! It really made my day! I still can't believe how many fans I have, and how much support I get from you guys! I am extremely grateful for that! I loved all the hand written notes, pictures, and of course my favorite, the montages!! Thank you again!!!!
Hope this year will be a good one :)
love,nastia
A Message from Nastia 19 September 2007
Nastia posted this entry on her myspace blog a few days ago. She wanted to include it on her website as well to make sure that all her fans received her message!
hey everyone,
Just wanted to thank each and every single one of you for all your support! It has been a long and pretty tough year, but I was so excited to end it the way I did!!! I really couldn't have done it without my family, friends and of course my fans!!!
My competition season is over for the year, so now I'm having a little bit of a down time which is nice, but I am ready to get back into the gym and start training for 2008!!!
Thank you again guys, you are all amazing!!
love,nast :)
World Champion 9 September 2007
Congratulations Nastia - 2007 World Balance Beam Champion. Nastia won her 9th World Championships medal in Stuttgart with a near flawless performance in the balance beam final. Drawn to compete last in the final Nastia had a small balance check on her flight series but was solid for the rest of her routine to earn a 16.025 / 6.6 A Score finishing ahead of China's Li Shanshan and Romania's Steliana Nistor who shared the silver medal (15.900). Following the competition Nastia told reporters, "I wanted to go out there and show I can make a good beam routine and be on top of the world ... Being the team world champion is great, don’t get me wrong. But individually, it’s something just totally different from a team medal. Being able to be named a world champion individually, it’s such a great honor."
Congratulations to Nastia's teammates who also earned medals during event finals. Alicia Sacramone won a bronze medal on vault and a silver medal on floor exercise while Shawn Johnson won the gold medal on floor exercise. Click HERE to access full results from Day 2 of Event Finals. Congratulations to Nastia and the entire US team for a great World Championship campaign!
This performance also means that Nastia has joined Shannon Miller as America's most decorated gymnast in World Championship competition. Nastia has earned four gold medals and five silver medals from her three World Championship appearances to date. Miller earned five gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal from her five World Championship appearances.
Silver on Uneven Bars 8 September 2007
Congratulations Nastia - 2007 World Uneven Bars Silver Medalist. Nastia has added another silver to her collection of World Championship medals. Drawn to compete 4th in the final Nastia performed her routine extremely well to earn a 16.300 / 7.1 A Score finishing just 0.05 behind eventual winner Ksenia Semenova (16.350 / 7.2 A Score). China's Yang Yilin won the bronze with a score of 16.150. Click HERE to access full results from Day 1 of Event Finals. Congratulations Nastia and good luck in the beam final tomorrow!
Top Five Finish In All Around 8 September 2007
The all around final was held overnight in Stuttgart with Nastia joining Shawn Johnson as the US representatives. Nastia began the competition strongly with an improved performance on vault (14.750 / 5.5 A Score) and by earning the highest score for any athlete on any event on uneven bars (16.100 / 7.1 A Score). Unfortunately she encountered problems on the balance beam including a fall on her major flight series to post a score of 14.575. Despite counting an out of bounds deduction on floor, she improved her score on floor exercise from the prelims 14.675 to earn an all around total of 60.100. This score left her just out of the medals in 5th place. Teammate Shawn Johnson won the gold medal just ahead of Romania's Steliana Nistor - these athletes were the only gymnasts in the top qualification group to not count a fall during the competition. The bronze medal was shared by Brazil's Jade Barbosa and Italy's Vanessa Ferrari - the defending champion. Congratulations Nastia. After a long and difficult year of recovery, to finish as the fifth best gymnast in the world is a remarkable achievement. Click HERE to access full results from the all around final.
Event finals get underway at 2:00pm local time in Stuttgart with two American women in action. Nastia will take part in the uneven bars final while Alicia Sacramone will compete on the vault. Good luck Nastia!
World Champions 6 September 2007
Nastia and her teammates (Ivana Hong, Shawn Johnson, Samantha Peszek, Alicia Sacramone and Shayla Worley) became only the second team from the United States to win a World Team Title overnight in Germany. They are also the first team from the United States to win this title off home soil. Nastia competed on uneven bars (16.375 / 7.1 A Score) and balance beam (15.175 / 5.7 A Score). The team went into the final rotation trailing defending champions China by 0.100 but finished strongly on floor to eventually take gold by almost a point. Romania won the bronze medal after an unfortunate mistake by the Russian women on vault. Click HERE to access full results from the team final. Congratulations Nastia and Team USA! Nastia and teammate Shawn Johnson will compete in the all around final today. The final gets underway at 6:30pm in Stuttgart and will be covered live by WCSN.com.
Nastia To Compete In Four Finals 2 September 2007
Nastia and her teammates dominated the preliminary round of competition at the World Championships finishing as the top qualifiers for the Team Final, almost four points ahead of their closest rivals China. The team also earned the highest team totals on vault, balance beam and floor exercise and were the third best nation on uneven bars. Nastia competed on all four aparatus and led the team by posting the second highest all around total (61.525), less than 0.100 behind Romania's Steliana Nistor. Her best performances came on balance beam (15.975 / 6.5 A Score) and uneven bars (16.250 / 7.1 A Score). She also earned impressive scores on vault (14.725 / 5.5 A Score) and floor exercise (14.575 / 5.9 A Score). In addition to the Team Final, Nastia's performance individually qualified her to All Around, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam finals. Click HERE to access full results from the preliminary round. Congratulations Nastia and Team USA! Nastia and her teammates will next compete in the Team Final on Wednesday night! Look out for photos from prelims soon!
Follow The Action in Stuttgart / Fan Mail 2 September 2007
Nastia and her teammates begin their World Championship campaign today in Stuttgart when they take part in official Podium Training. Preliminaries commence in three days with the US women scheduled to compete in Subdivision 9 on 2 September commencing at 6:00pm local time. Although fans will not be able to watch Team Preliminaries, AT&T, WCSN.com (World Championships Sport Network) and NBC have planned extensive coverage of all of the finals action from Stuttgart. WCSN will broadcast full live coverage of every final in Stuttgart and thanks for AT&T this coverage is being offered to fans for FREE! Blackouts do apply for some regions, so please view the terms and conditions closely. Full details of the scheduled WAG broadcasts are listed below.
CONTACTING NASTIA
A reminder that Nastia is no longer able to receive email through her official website or any of her other affilated websites including NASTIALIUKINBYAAI.COM. If you would like to leave her a message online (Podium Training for Team USA is today so I am sure she would appreciate any messages of support) you can do so in either her GUESTBOOK or by leaving a comment on her OFFICIAL MYSPACE PROFILE. If have have a question you would like considered for the ASK NASTIA section please submit it HERE. We are also unable to process any autograph requests through the website. The best way to get Nastia's autograph is to send her a letter. Nastia does her best to respond to all of the snail mail she receives. Please be patient in waiting for a response as she is a very busy athlete and student.
Bronze in San Jose / Stuttgart Bound 19 August 2007
Congratulations Nastia - 2007 National Uneven Bars Champion.
Competition at the VISA Championships concluded yesterday with the Junior and Senior Women's finals being contested. Nastia improved her score from preliminaries by almost half a point to move up the all around rankings by two places and win the bronze medal. She also won two individual event medals, gold on the uneven bars (16.200 / 7.1 A Score) and silver on the balance beam (16.000 / 6.5 A Score). Unfortunately she counted major errors on both vault and floor exercise admitting that she hasn't really had the time to train the required numbers to gain enough strength and consistency on these events for Championships. Shawn Johnson was the only gymnast to hit 8 for 8 in the competition and comfortably won her first National title. Shayla Worley staged an impressive finals performance to join Nastia in moving up the leaderboard to win silver. In the junior event Nastia's teammate Rebecca Bross won the all around and three event titles in an extremely dominant performance! WOGA's other competing athletes, Christa Tanella and Catherine Nguyen, finished 12th and 15th respectively. Congratulations Nastia and all of the WOGA girls! NBC will air coverage from Finals today. Check your local listings for broadcast times.
Following the competition USAG announced their seven member squad for the upcoming World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. Nastia was selected alongside Shawn Johnson, Shayla Worley, Alicia Sacramone, Ivana Hong, Bridget Sloan and Sam Peszek. The alternate for the team will not be announced until after podium training in Germany. Nastia and her teammates will make final preparations for the competition at the Karolyi Ranch with competition in Stuttgart getting underway on September 1.
Back To Four / Nastia Liukin by AAI Launched 18 August 2007
Nastia is in San Jose, California for the VISA Championships. The preliminary round was held on Thursday and Nastia competed on all four events making her much anticipated return to all around competition. Prior to the competition Nastia had few expectations for winning the event saying that her aim for Nationals was simply to return to all around competition and show that she continues to be more than a two event gymnast. "I feel like a lot of people have started to count me out because I've been out for a full year. I just want to prove to everyone, even if I don't win, I'm still in the running. And with time, I can get stronger."
Her best performances in Prelims came on balance beam where she debuted a new series and earned the second highest score (15.600 / 6.5 A Score) and uneven bars where, despite a fall on her dismount, she earned the top score of the day (15.350 / 7.1 A Score). The mistake on bars coupled with errors on both floor exercise (14.400 / 6.0 A Score) and vault (13.700 / 5.5 A Score) held her to fifth place in the all around (59.050). Despite the errors Nastia was just excited to just be competing in her first full competition for in 12 months saying, "It felt so great to get back out there. I can't say that enough." We are sure that Nastia's fans agree that it was great to see her competing all around again! Welcome back Nastia and good luck in Finals! NBC will air coverage from Prelims today. Check your local listings for broadcast times.
In other exciting news Nastia Liukin by AAI is now shipping! The signature product line includes a Foam Balance Beam, Junior Balance Beam, 4 x 8 Folding Mat, Hand Stand Bar and Cartwheel/Beam Mat and features Nastia’s signature color pink with her autograph and logo on each product. To view the line and place your order, be sure to visit NASTIALIUKINBYAAI.COM.
Nastia on Myspace.com 21 July 2007
Nastia's OFFICIAL MYSPACE PROFILE was launched today. Be sure to drop by and add Nastia as one of your friends! We are still developing the profile so look out for many updates in the coming weeks!
As announced in 2006 Nastia would again like her fans to know that she only has one personal myspace account located at MYSPACE.COM/NASTIALIUKIN. Any other myspace account that features her image and / or information, aside from her OFFICIAL PROFILE should be considered a fake. You will notice that Nastia's personal myspace is set to private. Please respect her wishes to maintain her personal myspace website as a place to share only with her friends. She is only posting the link on her website in an effort to make sure that her fans are not deceived by other individuals impersonating her. She is however looking forward to adding fans to her OFFICIAL PROFILE.
Two Silver Medals for Nastia 17 July 2007
The artistic gymnastics competition at the Pan American Games came to a close today with all ten event finals for both men and women being contested. Nastia qualified to compete in both the uneven bars and balance finals and won two silver medals. On uneven bars Nastia performed an excellent routine until a major error on her dismount allowed teammate Shawn Johnson to snatch gold by 0.025 with routine that was free of major error. Despite the error Nastia still scored 15.450 / 7.1 A Score. Lais Souza from Brazil won the bronze medal. Drawn to compete early on beam Nastia set the early standard on balance beam scoring an impressive 15.900 / 6.5 A Score. Nastia decided to take out her tripletwist dismount for this competition which lowered her A score by .2. Teammate Shawn Johnson also went through her routine without major error and eventually took the gold medal (16.150) aided by her 6.9 A Score. Danielle Hypolito from Brazil won the bronze medal. Congratulations Nastia!
USA Takes Gold / Two Finals for Nastia 14 July 2007
Nastia enjoyed a very successful return to international competition tonight helping the US win the team gold medal at the Pan American Games and personally qualifying to both the uneven bars and balance beam finals. The US women were dominant, earning a team total that was 6.5 points ahead of silver medalists Brazil. The team from Mexico took bronze. Nastia performed on two events earning the top score on uneven bars (15.825 / 7.1 A Score) and the second highest score on balance beam (15.875 / 6.4 A Score). SHAWN JOHNSON, REBECCA BROSS and IVANA HONG were the top US all around gymnasts and will all participate in the all around final on Monday. Nastia will be back in action on Tuesday when she competes in the event finals alongside teammates AMBER TRANI, JOHNSON and BROSS who also qualified into individual event finals. Congratulations to Team USA and Nastia! Click HERE to view some photographs of Nastia in Rio!
Nastia named on Pan American Games Team 7 July 2007
Following the final selection camp Nastia has been named on the Pan American Games team. Also named on the US WAG team were Nastia's WOGA teammate Rebecca Bross, Ivana Hong, Shawn Johnson, Samantha Peszek and Amber Trani. Nastia's father and coach, Valeri Liukin is the Head Coach for the team. Held every four years during the year prior to the Olympic Games, the Pan American Games is a multi-sport, quadrennial event for the Americas. The 15th Pan American Games are being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and will feature approximately 5,500 athletes from 42 countries. This year the U.S. delegation will include approximately 650 athletes competing in 35 sports. The gymnastics competition will run from July 13-18. This is Nastia's first competition since the 2006 World Championships were she was limited by an ankle injury and in her comeback competition she will only represent the team on uneven bars and balance beam. We will be updating Nastia's website with all of the latest news and results as soon as they happen in Rio. You can also find out more information about the Pan American Games by visiting the official website. Good luck Nastia and all of the US delegates.
Using a full collection of its multimedia assets, ESPN will provide unmatched, daily coverage of the 15th edition of the Pan American Games live from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13–29. Coverage of the Pan American Games will be featured on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN Deportes La Revista. More information about this coverage can be found HERE.
Adidas Sponsorship 3 July 2007
Nastia is pleased to announce a new partnership with adidas. For over 80 years the adidas Group has been part of the world of sports on every level, delivering state-of-the-art sports footwear, apparel and accessories. Today, the adidas Group is a global leader in the sporting goods industry and offers a broad portfolio of products. adidas has a clear mission – “to be the leading sports brand in the world”. To accomplish this mission, the organization at adidas is segmented to meet the needs of distinct groups of sport-oriented consumers. The adidas brand attitude “Impossible is nothing” drives all adidas brand communication initiatives.
Today Show Appearance 3 June 2007
As previously reported Nastia travelled to New York City with Chellsie Memmel and Jana Bieger following the most recent National Team Training Camp for an appearance on NBC's The Today Show. The girls appeared alongside Bela Karolyi in two segments to promote the US National Team (including an introduction of ATT's Behind the Team) and upcoming gymnastics summer camps and the Tyson Fitness Challenge. All of the girls were interviewed about their Olympic aspirations in part one. You can view both segments of the show that Nastia appeared in online via the following links: PART ONE/PART TWO.
Pan American Games Squad Announced 31 May 2007
Nastia has been named alongside 12 other gymnasts as a member of the Pan American Games squad despite a flare up of the ankle injury she suffered last October that restricted her participation to uneven bars and balance beam at the recent selection camp. It is likely that she will compete only on bars and beam in Brazil if selected on the team in order to protect her ankle for competitions later in the year including the VISA Championships and the World Championships in Stuttgart. Also named on the squad was Nastia's WOGA teammate Rebecca Bross.
In other news, Nastia will be appearing this morning alongside Chellsie Memmel, Jana Bieger and Bela Karolyi on The Today Show to promote the Tyson Fitness Challenge.
'Nastia Liukin by AAI' Signature Line Available July 2007 24 May 2007
Nastia's partnership with American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) to endorse AAI’s core gymnastics products will also include AAI’s first signature line of equipment jointly designed with Nastia. The signature product line Nastia Liukin by AAI will include a Foam Balance Beam, Junior Balance Beam, 4 x 8 Folding Mat, Hand Stand Bar and Cartwheel/Beam Mat and will feature Liukin’s signature color pink with her autograph and logo on each product.
"We are proud to partner with Nastia and her family. AAI has a long heritage of making equipment with the intensity of the sport and power of the athletes in mind. Nastia personifies that intensity and has extraordinary poise and grace. She is a tremendous asset to the AAI team.” said Tara Meier, AAI’s director of marketing.
For over 50 years, champions and beginners alike worldwide have relied on AAI for all their apparatus, training, matting, and motor development needs. AAI is the official equipment supplier and partner to USA Gymnastics.
“AAI is the best manufacturer of products for aspiring gymnasts through Olympic champions. When I was presented with the opportunity to develop a line of fitness and training products for young gymnasts, I jumped at it. I have always wanted to extend my dedication to working with young athletes beyond just clinics and camps. I hope parents recognize the tremendous health benefits for their children in working with my products and being a gymnast in general,” said Nastia on the media launch of the Nastia Liukin by AAI
Valeri Liukin, Nastia’s coach, father and owner of WOGA, also endorses AAI equipment and will lend his expertise to the partnership by evaluating new AAI products. “AAI has been such a mainstay
in the sport of gymnastics. By combining that longevity with Nastia’s position and our mutual ties to USA Gymnastics, it’s a winning partnership. Our goal is to help bring attention to the gymnastics community and increase participation in the sport.”
The Nastia Liukin by AAI product line will be available beginning July 2007. For more information please visit American Athletic, Inc online or Contact Evan Morganstein or Laura Cutler at PMG Sports.
American Athletic Inc. Sponsorship 15 April 2007
Nastia is pleased to announce a new partnership with American Athletic, Inc. Sports organizations from across the globe turn to one company for championship-caliber gymnastics and cheerleading equipment: American Athletic, Inc. Headquartered in Jefferson, Iowa, AAI has been manufacturing world-class sports equipment since 1954. AAI’s commitment to providing high-quality, high performance products has been unchanged for over 50 years. Today, AAI is the world’s leading manufacturer of gymnastics apparatus in all categories and the chosen gymnastics equipment supplier for most major championships, including the 1996 and 1984 Olympic Games, World Championships, Goodwill Games, Pan American Games, Special Olympics, and NCAA Championships. AAI has been the only Official Equipment Supplier for USA Gymnastics since the organization was founded in the ‘60s. AAI is also the only U.S. equipment manufacturer whose line of gymnastics products has been tested and approved by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, or FIG, the world’s governing body for the sport.
USA Gymnastics Behind The Team 6 April 2007
USA Gymnastics and AT&T have announced an unprecedented effort to give a behind-the-scenes look at the nation's top gymnasts in a 25-episode online series, USA Gymnastics: Behind the Team, as they prepare to represent their country on the world stage through 2008. The series of 25 webisodes will be included as exclusive content available on the AT&T blue room Team USA site. The first webisode will appear in April 2007 and as announced by USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny the series will "...chronicle the athletes, coaches, events and training activities that combine to produce some of the finest gymnasts in the world and prepare them for international competition. 'Behind the Team' will also help people understand how the sport and the U.S. training system have evolved over time."
In other news the votes are in and gymnastics fans have selected the cover previewed on the right for the next issue of Inside Gymnastics. Be sure to sign up for a subscription or buy a copy of the March/April issue when it hits stands soon!
Home Turf, SMU and More ... 25 March 2007
What has Nastia been up to since our last update? In February she attended the latest National Team Training Camp and although unable to compete travelled to Jacksonville for appearances and promotional work as part of the 2007 American Cup. The US team for the event was Shawn Johnson, Natasha Kelley, Shayla Worley and Samantha Peszek. Nastia is working hard to regain competition readiness following her surgery at the end of 2006 but at this time as not finalised plans for her return to competition. In other excitings news:
NASTIA ON AT&T'S HOMETURF
AT&T recently launched a new series of AT&T Home Turf and Nastia is one of the athletes featured for 2007. The online segments hosted by Deion Sanders allows fans to take a tour of the home and lives of some of their favorite sports stars. Home Turf is available through the AT&T Blue Room Sports. More than 2 million people have viewed Home Turf webisodes since it launched. Viewers can also click on AT&T globe icons to reveal bonus footage and trivia and learn about the latest offers on company products and services. Viewers also are given a chance to win technology prizes and autographed memorabilia.
FANS CHOICE
Nastia is set to grace to cover of the March/April issue of Inside Gymnastics Magazine and in conjunction with AT&T the magazine is offering gymnastics fans the chance to select the cover for the issue! Voting is currently underway on InsideGymnastics.com with five different options to choose from. Be sure to visit and submit your vote.
SMU BOUND
Nastia was recently accepted to SMU! She hopes to begin classes in the fall and because the university is close to her home and the gym she will be able to continue her training without interruption. She has not decided on a major yet but is leaning towards International Business. Congratulations Nastia!
NEW LOOK FOR A NEW SEASON
As you can see, the website has been redesigned for the 2007 Season. The new layout will eventually be available in both a flash and non-flash format but unfortunately we are still ironing out a few technical problems with the non-flash version and so it is not ready to open today. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause and will have it up and running within the next two weeks. Thank you for your patience and understanding has we worked through the development of the new website and also through the technical difficulties with our last host. In addition to the new look, we have also moved into a new home for 2007 and so problems with downtime should cease. Visit the UPDATES page to find how about all of our new content.
AT&T Home Turf and Sponsorship 3 March 2007
Nastia is pleased to announce a new partnership with AT&T. AT&T Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high-speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T is also the Official Telecommunications Services Partner of USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, and will be a proud sponsor of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team who will compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing.
Newsweek Feature 17 December 2006
Nastia has been picked as one of Newsweek magazine’s most interesting people to watch in 2007. The only female and Olympic athlete featured! The "Who's Next 2007" feature is in the December 25 2006 - January 1 2007 issue of the magazine on sale from December 18.
During the run-up to the 2000 Sydney Games, gymnastics guru Bela Karolyi visited a Dallas gym to appraise an Olympic hopeful. He was surprised to see a 10-year-old sprite cavorting among the elite gymnasts. At first Karolyi was annoyed by the distraction, but soon he found he couldn't take his eyes off the kid. "Her personality commanded attention," he says. "She had this total confidence—with no sense she didn't belong there among the best."
Today, at 17, Nastia Liukin commands the attention of the entire gymnastics world—and nobody questions her standing. She has won back-to-back U.S. all-around titles and, at the 2005 Worlds, took home more medals—two golds and two silvers—than any other gymnast. Now Liukin has her sights on Beijing 2008, where, with her dazzling repertoire, she could be America's breakout summer star.
No American gymnast has ever had a more exalted pedigree. Liukin's father, Valeri, who coaches her, won two gold medals for the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Her mother, Anna, was a world-champion rhythmic gymnast ... [read more] NEWSWEEK.COM
Nastia on Myspace 16 November 2006
Concerned by the number of fake myspace websites that are appearing, Nastia has decided to include a link to her myspace website on her official website. She would like her fans to know that she only has one myspace account located at MYSPACE.COM/NASTIALIUKIN. Any other myspace account that features her image and / or information should be considered a fake. You will notice that Nastia's myspace is set to private. Please respect her wishes to maintain her myspace website as a private place to share with her friends. She is only posting the link on her website in an effort to ensure that fans are not deceived by individuals impersonating her.
Two More World Silver Medals 25 October 2006
Competition has concluded at the World Championships. Nastia and her teammates overcame early mistakes in the team final to win the silver medal. The Chinese team were powerful and importantly consistent on their way to victory. As she has all week, Nastia's only routine for the team came on uneven bars where she earned a 15.800.
In the event finals Nastia performed an excellent routine to score 16.050 and take the silver medal behind Beth Tweddle. Newly crowned World All Around Champion Vanessa Ferrari won the bronze medal.
US Women and Nastia Into Finals 16 October 2006
Nastia put the disappointment of the last few weeks aside to contribute strongly to the team total in preliminaries and in the process qualify for her second World Championship uneven bars final. After weeks of uncertainty there could not have been a better outcome for Nastia from Aarhus today. Despite two falls on beam, the US women were dominant scoring 243.325 easily qualifying to the Team Finals.
Injury Worries Leading Into Aarhus 14 October 2006
There is a lot of news to catch up on. Nastia is currently in Aarhus, Denmark for the 25th World Gymnastics Championships. The event is the first qualifier for the Beijing Olympic Games with only the top 24 teams from Aarhus to progress to Stuttgart and the opportunity to qualify a full team to the Olympics. Joining Nastia in the team are: Jana Bieger, Jacqueline Johnson, Natasha Kelley, Chellsie Memmel, Ashley Priess and Alicia Sacramone.
As we are sure you are all aware, Nastia's participation in the event will be limited due to an injury she suffered at the final selection camp in early October. Although she is naturally disappointed that she will not be able to compete on all events, she is excited to be able to contribute to the team as they attempt to become the first American team to win a World Championship off home soil. At this time, Nastia is only scheduled to compete on uneven bars in the Championships. Her recovery is going well and she was very excited to have made her first dismount from bars during Podium Training. Contrary to what was reported by some media outlets following yesterdays Podium Training, Nastia did not practice on beam during Podium Training. Look out for all of the details from Aarhus in the coming days. Good luck to Nastia and all of the US team! Be sure to leave Nastia a message of support in the guestbook or send her an email
Nastia Signs With Premier Management Group 6 September 2006
World Champion Nastia Liukin Signs with Premier Management Group, LLC Reigning U.S. All-Around, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam Champion Joins Elite Athletes at PMG
U.S. gymnast, Nastia Liukin, whom many experts compare to Olympic icon Nadia Comaneci and consider her the top female gymnast in the world and a likely star of the upcoming Beijing Olympics, recently signed an exclusive management and representation agreement with Premier Management Group, LLC (PMG). PMG is the leading agency for U.S. Olympians and represents such current elite athletes as swimmers Amanda Beard, Brooke Bennett, Brendan Hansen, Cullen Jones, Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirsol, Kaitlin Sandeno and Kate Ziegler.
Liukin is PMG’s first signing of a gymnast and the company will manage her marketing, public relations and business opportunities. PMG is focused on building a brand identity for Nastia that speaks to pre-teens, teens and those in their early-twenties and expects to parley her inspirational, fun and outgoing nature into spokesperson opportunities for a select group of international companies. PMG also has plans to partner Nastia with a popular youth-oriented magazine and or television show in which she will relate her real life experiences and positively influence young girls and boys.
“My parents and I spent a long time reviewing agencies,” said Liukin. “What really impressed me was Evan Morgenstein and the professionalism at PMG. I feel like we are a part of the PMG family. Since my dad coaches me it was a perfect fit for us. I think this is going to be a tremendous long-term partnership.”
In addition to creating new opportunities, PMG will manage, activate and execute programs with her current sponsors Longines, Elite Sportswear and Gymnova.
The agency is currently negotiating a book deal for Nastia. They have already secured one of the top writers in the country with an expertise in the Olympic and sports industries.
"When I first met Nastia and her parents, Valeri and Anna, I knew immediately that I had an opportunity of a lifetime to take a very normal girl with tremendous skills and work ethic and create a portfolio of opportunities that very few athletes have ever enjoyed,” said Evan Morgenstein, President of Premier Management Group, LLC. “Nastia is both graceful and inspirational in a way that exceeds her youth. Marketers love her and fans worldwide feel the same. Nastia can be that special athlete at these next Olympic games that comes along once every 20 years. Like most teens she embodies the free will and thirst for life that can’t be coached or manufactured. She is so authentic!"
As one of the best gymnasts in the world, Nastia has a strong fan base around the world and especially in Europe, where her father was an Olympic Gold Medallist in gymnastics and her mother reigned world champion as a rhythmic gymnast in 1987. Nastia already has a global presence and her expected performance in Beijing will add to her visibility. PMG plans to create a global fan club program based on her popularity utilizing her website www.nastialiukin.com as the portal for content, information and exclusive offers. PMG is creating a unique logo for Nastia and plans on having her associated brand partners create visibility for her by developing new and exciting lines of licensed merchandise and signature products.
For additional information please contact Laura Cutler at 919-277-1154; laura@pmgsports.com.
About Premier Management Group Premier Management Group, LLC (PMG) is the holding company for a number of lifestyle and celebrity talent outsourcing, management, representation, corporate consulting and sports marketing groups. Its divisions include PMG Sports, PMG Aquatics, Chef Stars, Talent Management Group, PMG Speakers, Gold Medal Greats and several others. Clients of PMG include Olympic icons Amanda Beard, Janet Evans, Bruce Jenner, Rowdy Gaines and Mark Spitz; celebrity chefs including Lindsey Williams and corporate clients including the American Swim Coaches Association, Celebrity Healthlink, SwimAmerica, Ultimate Sports Entertainment and UniVisit.
Message From Nast 30 August 2006
hi everyone,
I have received a heap of emails and messages since Classics and Championships ... so many that I am still reading through them all! I am doing my best to reply to as many as I can but I not sure that I am going to be able to respond to every email so I wanted to leave message for you all on my website. Thank you for all of your emails, messages in my guestbook and support in the last couple of months ... I really appreciate it!
Be sure to watch and vote for Carly on Celebrity Duets! The show started Tuesday but there will be an encore screening Thursday at 8/7C if you missed it.
I hope you like the new updates on the site. Thanks for visiting!
love,nastia
National Champion 18 August 2006
Congratulations Nastia - 2006 US National All Around, Balance Beam and Uneven Bars Champion!
It was a fighting performance from Nastia today at the VISA Championships. Entering the final with more than a point lead over the rest of the field, she was able to overcome minor errors on floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bars to retain her National title. In addition she won individual event titles on uneven bars and balance beam. Her highest scoring events for the evening were uneven bars (15.850) and balance beam (15.550) and she also posted another personal best score on vault (15.000). Her all around score of 61.100 was the 3rd best in finals and importantly high enough to maintain her lead over the two day event. Following the competition she reflected on winning her second senior and fourth consecutive National all around title:
It feels really awesome going from winning juniors twice and now seniors twice. It's really amazing to still be at the top.
Natasha Kelley (Stars Houston) took the silver medal and Jana Bieger (Boca Twisters) winning the bronze. Despite finishing 5th in the all around, Alicia Sacramone (Brestyan’s American Gymnastics) took individual event titles on vault and floor exercise. Joining Nastia as members of the 2006-07 Senior National Team are: Natasha Kelley, Jana Bieger, Chellsie Memmel (M&M), Alicia Sacramone, Ashley Priess (CGA), Kassi Price (Orlando Metro), Amber Trani (Parkettes), Christine Nguyen (WOGA), Randy Stageberg (Excalibur), Jacquelyn Johnson (CGA) and Kayla Hoffman (Rebound Gymnastics).
As the top two placed gymnasts in the all around, Natasha Kelley and Nastia have also earned automatic berths at the World Team Selection Camp.
Congratulations to the other WOGA athletes who also completed their Nationals campaign today. Juniors Rebecca Bross, Catherine Nguyen and Christa Tanella finished 4th, 8th and 14th respectively while senior Christine Nguyen came 9th. These results earned Rebecca Bross, Catherine Nguyen (Juniors) and Christine Nguyen (Senior) places on the National Team. Congratulations to all of the WOGA girls for a fantastic Nationals.
Following the competition, the annual USAG awards were presented. These awards are voted for by all of the athletes and their coaches. Nastia was named Co-Athlete of the Year with Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone Sportswoman of the Year and Valeri Coach of the Year. Congratulations to all!
Nastia Leads After Prelims 17 August 2006
Nastia is in St Paul, Minnesota for the VISA Championships. She performed strongly in the preliminary round tonight earning four personal best scores under the new code of points including an all around score (62.600) and leads the competition by more than a point. The highlights of her day came on uneven bars (16.400) and balance beam (16.300) where she earned the two highest scores of the competition. Her only error came on floor when she stepped out of bounds on her last tumbling pass. Fellow Texan Natasha Kelley (61.500) is in second place continuing her consistent form from the recent US Classic. Nastia's 2005 World Championship teammates Chellsie Memmel and Jana Bieger are tied for third (61.050) while Alicia Sacramone is 6th all around but importantly took top honours on both vault and floor exercise. Following the competition Nastia told insidegymnastics.com that her aims for Nationals were more about the opportunity to compete rather than about winning the title.
Since worlds I haven’t done the same routine in any competition. So, it’s been a lot of changes, but it’s been really fun trying to learn new skills. My main goal is to just come out here and do the best I can.
Congratulations to all of the WOGA athletes who competed today. Juniors Rebecca Bross, Catherine Nguyen and Christa Tanella are in 5th, equal 8th and 17th respectively while senior Christine Nguyen is equal 9th place. Scores from preliminaries will carry forward with the competition continuing on Saturday night to determine the 2006 US National Champion. Good luck in finals Nast! As in previous years, this meet will be televised on NBC! Tune in to watch all of the action from the Preliminary around at 8pm EST on August 19th and at 7PM EST on August 20th for Finals. Be sure to check your local listings!
US Classic Beam Champion 29 July 2006
Nastia was in Kansas City this weekend to take part in the 2006 US Classic. Already qualified to the USA Championships by virtue of her performance at the 2005 World Championships, the competition provided a final oppprtunity to compete her new routines before Nationals in August. For the third time this season, Nastia debuted new skills including a tkatchev on bars and a double front on floor exercise. She also debuted a newly choreographed floor routine to the music Dark Eyes.
She had a really mixed night counting falls on both bars and on floor exercise but earning the highest score of the competition on any event on beam. Overall she finished in 4th place behind Ashley Priess and Natasha Kelley (equal 1st) and Alicia Sacramone. In addition to the gold medal on beam, she also finished 5th on uneven bars. After the competition she spoke a representative of International Gymnast. Click HERE to listen to the interview. Congratulations Nastia. Look out for videos and photographs from the meet soon.
Philip Morton 1962-2006 19 June 2006
Everyone involved in the production of NastiaLiukin.com would like to send out condolences to the Morton family at the recent passing of Philip. A truly talented sports photographer, Philip was an extremely generous individual and a great supporter of the sport and of Nastia's website. An individual with a rare gift who will be missed by many. Thank you for everything Philip.
IGHOF Gymnast of the Year 29 April 2006
Nastia was named IGHOF Gymnast of the Year overnight in Oklahoma! An initiative of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, this award recognises the male and female gymnast who gave the most memorable performances in 2005. Also nominated in the female catagory for 2005 were Chellsie Memmel and Cheng Fei. Nastia was presented with her award as part of the 10th Annual International Gymnastics Hall of Fame induction activities. Thankyou to everyone who supporting Nastia's nomination by taking part in the public ballot. Look out for some photos from the event soon!
More Medals in Hawaii 16 April 2006
Nastia won two more medals at the Pacific Alliance Championships in Honolulu overnight. She was the top qualifier through to the uneven bars finals and with a typically strong performance earned a score of 15.975 and the gold medal ahead of teammate Shayla Worley (15.400) and Japan's Mayu Kuroda (15.325). Third up in the beam final, she performed strongly to earn a 15.625 taking the silver medal just shy of teammate Chellsie Memmel (15.700). Canada's Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs took bronze with a score of 15.250. The US women were dominant in event finals winning gold and silver on every event except vault where Jana Bieger took gold but was the sole US representative. The Junior women were equally dominant winning 3 our of the 4 gold medals on offer. A special congratulations to Nastia's WOGA teammate Rebecca Bross who finished 5th in the junior beam final!
Nastia will return to home via Los Angeles where she is very excited to be attending the premiere of Stick It! The movie hits theatres nationally on April 28! Be sure to check it out!
Double Gold in Hawaii 14 April 2006
A very successful evening for team USA and Nastia in Honolulu overnight. Nastia and her teammates (Chellsie Memmel, Jana Bieger and Shayla Worley) dominated the team final scoring 183.150 to easily win the gold medal ahead of Australia (177.050) and Canada (172.050). Nastia and Chellsie also shared the all around title (61.050) bringing back memories of all around final at the 2005 World Championships. Teammate Jana Bieger posted the third best score (61.000) but due to the 2-per country rule, the bronze medal was awarded to Australia's Hollie Dykes (60.550).
Nastia's best performances came on bars (15.950) and beam (15.600) - where she performed a new mount. She also performed strongly on vault earning a 14.850 for her Yurchenko 1.5. A fall on floor (14.650) - her final event of the evening - was her only major error. Following the competition Nastia had this to say of her performance:
It feels great, even though I had a mistake on the floor. Mostly all my routines are new compared to the World Championships, so I think I just need a little more time to get consistent.
Due to some confusion over the qualification rules for event finals, we are not able to confirm which events Nastia will compete in on Saturday. She earned the top score on uneven bars and so will certainly appear in that final. Although she posted the 3rd best score on beam, qualification rules may mean that she will lose her place in the beam final to Monette Russo - by virtue of the fact that Russo is the teammate of top qualifier Hollie Dykes. We will update as soon as we receive official confirmation of the event final qualifiers.
A big congratulations Shawn Johnson, Bianca Flohr, Shantessa Pama and Rebecca Bross who took gold as a team in the Junior event. Shawn Johnson and Bianca Flohr also took first and second in the all around. Special mention to Rebecca Bross, Nastia's teammate from WOGA who made her international debut in Hawaii finishing 4th all around and also qualified to beam finals!
Pacific Alliance Championships 7 April 2006
Nastia has been named in the Senior US team for the Pacific Alliance Championships. The event, which runs from April 13-15 in Honolulu, Hawaii features the best gymnastics nations on the Pacific rim including Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, China and New Zealand. This is Nastia second appearance at a Pacific Alliance Championships but her first as a senior. Also selected on the US team were Chellsie Memmel (M&M), Shayla Worley (Orlando Metro) and Jana Bieger (BOCA Twisters). The team and all around final will be held on April 13 with the event finals to be held on April 15. Both sessions commence at 7:00pm. NBC Sports is broadcasting action from the Pacific Alliance Championships on April 16 at 4 p.m. ET. Congratulations Nastia and good luck to the US team!
Two Award Nominations 6 April 2006
Nastia is one of the nominees for the World Top 10 Athletes Award, supported by the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games for 2008 (BOCOG), authorized by the China General Administration of Sports and organized by the China Sports Publications Corp. The award ceremony is April 9, 2006, at the People’s Great hall in Beijing, China. The award is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has been billed as the Sports Oscar of China. The nominees for the World top 10 Athletes were nominated by a panel of sports experts and voted on by Chinese people around the world. The award ceremony/gala will be broadcast live by Chinese national broadcaster CCTV.
Nastia is also one of the nominees for the IGHOF Gymnast of the Year. An initiative of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, this award recognises the male and female gymnast who gave the most memorable performances in 2005. Also nominated for the female award in 2005 are Chellsie Memmel and Cheng Fei (China). The winner will decided by public vote with the winner announced at the 10th Annual International Gymnastics Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 28. Be sure to visit 2005 GOTY OFFICIAL WEBSITE to cast your vote.
Nastia is currently at the National Training Center taking part in the selection camp for the 2006 Pacific Alliance Team. USA Gymnastics will announce their women's teams today.
Stick It and Europe... 11 March 2006
Nastia will not be travelling to Lyon for the French International next week as previously scheduled. Her next competition will be the selection camp for the Pacific Alliance Team to be held at the Ranch in early April.
The release date for Stick It has been announced. Nastia filmed a small part in the movie last year portraying herself! The movie will hit US screens on 21 April. Be sure to check it out!
American Cup Champion 4 March 2006
Congratulations Nastia - 2006 American Cup Champion!
Despite falling on her new beam mount (14.925), Nastia won the all around at the American Cup this afternoon helped by competition high performances on uneven bars (15.600) and floor exercise (15.125). She also a 14.400 on vault. This competition was Nastia's first judged under the new code of points and like all of the gymnasts was not really sure what to expect.
I kind of wanted the perfect 10 to stay. But it was a good change. I'll get used to it and understand it more. Coming in, I wasn't sure what the concept was, but now I have a better idea.
US gymnasts were dominant in the event with Shayla Worley winning the silver medal in the women's competition and Jonathan Horton beating World AA silver medalist Hisashi Mizutori to win the men's title. David Durante, also from the USA, took bronze. Congratulations to all of the US athletes.
Nastia Leads American Cup After Prelims 3 March 2006
Nastia had a very successful afternoon during preliminaries at the Tyson American Cup, unveiling a number of her new skills and is the top qualifier into tomorrow's final. The event is her first competition for the year and her first judged under the new code of points. Her best performances came on bars (15.350), beam (15.900) and floor exercise (15.250) where she earned the top scores of the day. She also earned a 14.600 for her Yurchenko 1.5 vault. Shayla Worley of Orlando Metro will join Nastia in the final after finishing 2nd in qualification. The other US women performed extremely well with Biance Flohr and Jacqueline Johnson coming 3rd and 4th respectively. Due to the 2 per country rule, neither gymnast is able to continue to the final.
NBC will be broadcasting the finals live from 1.00pm EST. Be sure to check your local listings and tune it! Good luck Nastia and Shayla!
Two International Events in March 28 February 2006
After proving her readiness for the competition at the last week's National Team Training Camp, Nastia's position on the US team for the Tyson American Cup has been confirmed. Also selected for the team were: Bianca Flohr, Jacquelyn johnson and Shayla Worley. The American Cup will also feature athletes from Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine. Competition at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia gets underway on Friday with the Preliminary Round. Finals will be held the following day with NBC broadcasting the event live from 1.00pm EST. Good luck Nastia!
Also decided at the training camp this week were a number of US teams for other international competitions in March. Following the American Cup Nastia will travel to Lyon, France for the 15th French International - an event on the World Cup calender. Her teamates for this competition are Jana Bieger and Ashley Preiss. More information about this competition will be posted after the American Cup.
US Sport's Academy 2005 Athlete of the Year Nomination 1 December 2005
Nastia has been nominated for United States Sports Academy’s 2005 Athlete of the Year award. The award, presented annually, recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in any sport around the globe. Nominations are made by committee comprised of media representatives and sports leaders from around the world. From the 2005 nominees a Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Athlete of the Year (the individual male or female with the highest overall votes) will be named. Past winners of the award include: Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Mia Hamm, Michael Jordan, Annika Sorenstam, Tiger Woods and fellow WOGA gymnast Carly Patterson.
The ballot, run in conjunction with USATODAY.com, attracts tens of thousands of votes from sports fans around the globe. Votes will be collected online from December 1-24 and announced in the media and on the Sports Academy’s website. Be sure to visit the USSA website and vote for Nastia.
Gold and Silver as Worlds Comes to a Close 27 November 2005
Nastia has claimed her second gold medal of the world championships - on beam with a score of 9.612. Performing last, her stunning routine earned a high enough score to place above the USA's Chellsie Memmel (9.512) and the Olympic champion Catalina Ponor (Romania - 9.500).
On Floor Nastia was first up and set the pace with 9.425, which was surpassed only by team mate Alicia Sacramone's 9.612. Nastia won two golds and two silvers in Melbourne, making her the most successful gymnast of the entire competition!
Congratulations Nastia on an excellent world championships!
World Uneven Bars Champion 26 November 2005
Tonight Nastia was crowned world champion on uneven bars after a fantastic routine and a nailed dismount, scoring an excellent 9.662! Joining Nastia on the podium was friend and team mate Chellsie Memmel (USA - 9.587) and Beth Tweddle (GBR - 9.575). Nastia will compete in both of tomorrow's finals - beam and floor. Congratulations Nastia, and good luck for tomorrow!
Silver For Nastia In Melbourne 25 November 2005
Nastia competed in the All-Around final at the Rod Laver arena in Melbourne today. Starting on vault, Nastia got off to a good start scoring 9.137. On bars she produced her usual stunning routine with her characteristic flow and excellent lines for 9.587. Matching her bars score on beam, the wobbles from Wednesday night were no where to be seen and she produced a solid routine with a stuck dismount. These 9.587s were the highest scores of the meet! Going into her final piece, floor, Nastia was leading compatriot Chellsie Memmel by 0.024. After both girls turned in excellent performances, Chellsie just edged Nastia for the gold by a mere 0.001! Congratulations to Nastia on a silver medal at her first world championships! Tomorrow will see Nastia in action once again in the uneven bars final. On Saturday she wraps up her championships with appearances in the beam and floor final - good luck, Nastia!
Nastia Qualifies Into Four Finals 23 November 2005
The WAG Qualification round was held in Melbourne today. Nastia performed strongly finishing as the top qualifier for the all around (37.424) and the uneven bars (9.562) as well as earning places in the beam (9.262) and floor exercise (9.475) finals. Her US teammates also performed very well. Chellsie Memmel is the 2nd highest qualifier in the all around and uneven bars and will also compete in the beam final. Alicia Sacramone is the second highest qualifier on both vault and floor exercise. Jana Bieger performed extremely well on uneven bars and were it not for the 2 per country rule would have qualified to the uneven bars final. Nastia had the following to say about her performance today:
It went really well and I'm really excited just to get the first competition finally under our belt and I think we all did a great job.
Congratulations Nastia and all of the US women! The all around final will be contested on Friday night and the aparatus finals on Saturday and Sunday afternoon! Goodluck Nastia.
Nastia is really enjoying the Championships and being in Melbourne and has sent a few personal pictures for the website. Be sure to check them out!
News From Melbourne 21 November 2005
Nastia has now been in Melbourne for a week preparing alongside her teammates for the start of competition at the World Championships. On the eve of Podium Training, the US delegation announced its lineup for the qualification round. Chellsie Memmel and Nastia will compete all around with Alicia Sacramone to represent the US on vault, beam and floor and Jana Bieger to compete uneven bars.
Nastia will compete in Session 3 of the qualification round - the last session for the US team - on Wednesday. The session gets underway at at 4:00pm in Melbourne. The top 24 qualifiers from the four qualification sessions will proceed to Friday night's final. In addition the top 8 athletes on each aparatus will contest the aparatus finals over the coming weekend. Nastia's campaign will begin on floor.
Although she elected not to speak to the press following Podium Training, at the US team press conference last week Nastia had the following to say about her expectations for her first World Championship campaign:
Basically just to come here and do my best. I am not really setting any huge goals to win. If I could come first that would be really nice, but right now my goal is just to have good trainings right up till the competition and when we get there do my routines like I have been training them all week.
