THE INSIDE INTERVIEW: Nastia Liukin

NSIDE: After winning the sport’s ultimate prize what makes you want to continue?

LIUKIN: Believe me, I get asked that all the time. Especially from my friends and family, people who know how hard I worked, how much I sacrificed, how many hours I spent in the gym. Who know how hard what I did really was. How many [opportunities] I’ve had to give up to keep training. They’re all like, ‘Why would you want to do that all again?’

All I can say is that I’ve never been in it for the fame, or the money, or the medals even. You know, it feels amazing when you’re standing up there on that first-place podium and you have the gold medal and listen to your national anthem, but there is so much more to gymnastics than that. Even just being back in the gym, being back here with the people that I love and care for. I just feel so comfortable here. It’s just something that I love to do.

… I’m just so happy to be home. To be back in the gym, and on a regular schedule. It’s actually really great. (Laughs) I know that might sound kind of weird. But it’s just home for me. I grew up in the gym, you know? … It’s fun and I’m really enjoying doing it again.

… That’s another thing: I’ve only been back for a few months, really, and I’ve already learned a few new skills that I didn’t even know I could do before the Olympics. And that just kind of proves that there’s so much more I can give to gymnastics. With the new Code things are going to be harder for me [on bars,] but there are things that are going to be easier, too. You know, we’ll see how it goes. It’s always so much easier to stop [but then] regret it for the rest of your life. That’s definitely something I don’t want to do.

I just knew that by the time Worlds comes, I don’t want to be [watching] and saying, ‘I wish I would have tried. Maybe I could have competed.’ That’s not something I want to happen. So, I’m going to go out and give it 100 percent. That’s why I’m in the gym every day and, hey, even if it doesn’t happen and I get nothing, that’s OK.

I know I’ve already achieved the biggest goal—the biggest dream—I ever had. Now, it’s just about really enjoying it. To go for as long as I can. As long as I’m having fun.

INSIDE: When did you make the decision to go on? Was it a process? Or did you always know you wanted to continue, even after you won Olympic gold?

LIUKIN: Honestly, before the Olympics I wasn’t really thinking too much about it. I just kind of wanted to get through the Olympics first. And, when I was on tour, I had mixed emotions, mixed feelings. Sometimes I wanted to continue and other times I just [felt like] I’d had enough and wanted a break. I think throughout the whole tour I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I decided to just enjoy the tour while I was on it. Who knows if I’ll ever be on another tour? I mean, I would love to do a tour again, but I really just wanted to enjoy the moment. And I felt like I should. We had worked so hard, for so many years, and it was time for a little break. We were doing something we loved to do, which was perform in front of thousands of people.

Once the tour was over I got back and that was kind of the point where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I was basically back in the gym just trying to get into physical shape. I wasn’t even doing much gymnastics. When I started doing gymnastics again there were times it was so hard that I just didn’t know if I wanted to do it. You know, going back and learning, like, kip-casts and giants again, just because it had been so long since I had done them. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know if I can do this. Will I ever get back to where I was?’

I just finally, about a month ago, or a maybe a little bit more, sat down with both of my parents and talked. Oh and, I was doing school at the time, going to SMU (Southern Methodist University in Dallas), and between my school, training and traveling it was very overwhelming. It wasn’t something I was used to. Going to college for the first time and having to study for exams. Training, traveling, driving—it was 30 minutes each away—having to miss tests from the traveling. It was just a lot.

Finally, my parents sat me down and asked me: ‘What do you really want to do?’ They were like, ‘This is all up to you. We helped you achieve your biggest dream. If you [still] want to do it, we’ll both be behind you 100 percent, but if you don’t we’ll respect you.’ So, I really thought about it for a few days and I came to the conclusion that I wanted to train because it’s something I truly love to do. We talked and my dad said, ‘I’ll help you as much as I can. And if it doesn’t happen, that’s fine. But why don’t we give it a try.’ [He] didn’t want me to regret it. To worry about [me] thinking, ‘I wish I would have tried.’ I decided to stop school, for now, so that I can really focus on my training 100 percent and that has helped tremendously; just being in the gym all the time and not having to worry about classes and tests.

I’m definitely going to go to college, but I think that’s for after I’m done with my gymnastics career. Because I’ve always felt like … you can always sit in a classroom, no matter how old you are, but gymnastics is definitely one of those sports you can’t do for the rest of your life.

INSIDE: When did you resume serious training?

LIUKIN: Really, not until January. In December, we went to France and Russia. I had a show in both places and I visited my family in Russia. And, of course, the holidays. I took time off for that. It was basically January when I was back in the gym on a daily basis—unless I’m traveling.

INSIDE: And then you got serious about competing again when?

LIUKIN: I don’t know, exactly. Maybe a month [after that]? I was always serious, I just didn’t know if I could do it. If it was a realistic goal. … It’s a lot easier now—not easy, but you know what I mean—now that I’m back in better shape, back into a routine. It’s all coming together, I’d say.
INSIDE: You talked about needing to get back into shape—and even having to relearn things like a kip-cast—but from what fans saw of you on the tour and in other appearances you never really looked like you were out of shape.

LIUKIN: Well I guess, for me, I’ve never taken more than three days off from gymnastics before. Even when we went on family vacations they were only three days, and even then I would condition and run every day. I was never out of the gym. I think that was kind of the biggest thing for me: Not being the gym all the time. I guess it was hard for some people to see but, for me, I could definitely feel a change in my body; just the way everything was. Getting back on the events was a lot harder than I thought.

After the Olympics, I had a little bit of a growth spurt, I guess. I don’t know if I got taller, but I definitely gained some weight and that was kind of hard for me. I’ve never really had to worry about that before. I’m lucky, I guess. But, when you take three or four months off from training seven hours a day then, obviously, that’s gonna happen. That was the first time I’d had to experience any of that. It was definitely hard for me.

Now being back in a normal rhythm of daily training, I’m still doing a lot of cardio, but I’m also working out on all four events.

INSIDE: You also mentioned new skills. Any hints as to what we may see?

LIUKIN: Well, I kind of want to keep it a surprise. But I will say there’s one on beam and one on bars. I don’t know if I’ll be competing it this year but, on bars, it’s in the works and I’m really excited. It’s amazing to know that, after all these years [of] trying to create the perfect bar routine for the Olympics, it’s weird I’ve never tried some of these skills. And we just try it and I do it the first time. It’s cool. It brings the fun back in. Like, when you were younger and you got to do all these new skills. Oh and, I’m getting a new floor routine. Finally! Natalya (Marakova) is doing it for me. She does all my choreography on floor.

INSIDE: Has the new Code, which reduces the number of judged skills to eight, including the required dismount, which must be counted as one of the eight, changed the way you’re constructing your routines?

LIUKIN: It makes it a lot harder, actually. You have to think about how to put your routines together and it’s really strategic. You have to think about not only what the hardest skills are, but what you can do with the best form, because form and technique is so important.

At the same time, you can only have eight skills now, so they’ve all got to count even more. It’s going to be really tricky to put together routines. You’re going to have to have a lot of combination bonuses. In my bar routine, I [already] only counted D and E [skills,] but now it’s about how to put them together so I get more bonus.

We’re still trying to figure everything out but, like I said, I’m doing all my skills on bars again. Beam, I mean, I’ve been doing routines for a long time. On floor, I’m starting to do all my passes on the rod floor and into the pit. Vault, I’m doing layouts and starting fulls and stuff. Vault is going to be one of those events—you know, vault wasn’t always my best event anyways (laughs).

I’m really excited about doing my routine on bars again. Now, it’s just about putting in small parts and bringing it all together.

INSIDE: Have you considered transitioning to being a specialist on, say, bars and beam? The events that seem to come more easily for you.

LIUKIN: Possibly this year, just because I haven’t had the proper time, because of the traveling and everything. I’m not gonna say that’s what I’d want to do, though.

Before the Olympics, a lot of people, with my ankle and stuff, thought maybe I should just do two events. I wanted to prove to people that I was still an all-around gymnast and (laughs) I think I did that at the Olympics. I think, this year, I’m not trying to put any expectations on it, because I’m still traveling a lot. I will say that, down the road, I don’t want to back off and just do two events. I feel like the all-around is one of those things in gymnastics that is, to me, very important.

I think bars are one of the hardest events to get back into routine-shape. So, I feel like if I did bars then vault and floor would come pretty easy. We’ll see. I’m not trying to set any expectations quite yet.

INSIDE: By continuing, you’re definitely taking the road less traveled. Most Olympic champions, whether that’s their intention or not, find themselves overwhelmed with the obligations and opportunities and never get back into serious competition.

LIUKIN: Let me tell you, it hasn’t been easy at all. There have definitely been days where it’s just like, ‘Why am I doing this? I already achieved what I wanted to.’ But you get through the hard days. When I think about it, leading up to the Olympics there were some even harder days than what I’m going through now. If I know that I made it all the way though that—through the injuries, the struggles, the negativity—then I can make it through this.

[I’m] just trying to have fun. That’s something I’ve been working on this last year: patience. (Laughing) Trying to get back in shape has definitely taught me patience. [National Team Coordinator] Martha (Karolyi) was like, ‘You’re getting there. Do not lose your patience!’ Just to know I have so much support behind me, from all the coaches here at WOGA to the whole National Staff, including Martha. We keep in touch all the time, even when we don’t have camps. And I’ve been to camps every month since January.

… It’s so weird to think I’ll be 20 this year. It honestly feels like I’m still 16. I’m still living at home. Still going to the gym every day. I definitely have responsibilities that make me realize I am almost 20, but it’s so weird. Time has gone by so fast.
INSIDE: You mentioned living at home. Any plans to move out on your own?

LIUKIN: I’ve definitely thought about moving out and living on my own. We’ll see. We’ve definitely been talking about it. I think I got to experience a little of that on tour—just being on my own [and] I guess I survived.

I think gymnastics is one of those things that teaches you, from an early age, to be [independent]. I was lucky that my dad was my coach, because he was always traveling with me. Normally, we’re not, like, allowed to see our parents until after the competition was over. [But I still] learned how to live on my own. Do my own laundry and whatnot.

We’ll see. Either way, I’ll still see [my parents] every day in the gym and everything. We’re just taking it one day at a time and we’ll see how it goes. (Laughs) Of course, my parents’ place is pretty nice, so there’s [no rush]. Every time I bring it up, they’re like, joking, ‘Is our house not good enough for you?’

INSIDE: Speaking of family, how are the Liukin dogs?

LIUKIN: They’re good! We have three dogs now. I got one right before the Olympics, a little black toy poodle, Ella. I totally planned on [traveling with Ella] but all my trips now are so short. Like when I went to Chicago for the [2016 Bid Committee] dinner, I got there at noon, left for the dinner at 4 [PM] and then left my hotel the next morning at, like, 5:30 AM. They’re all such short trips and I’m normally really busy. But my dad has become really, really attached to [Ella]. It feels like she doesn’t really like me anymore (laughs). I guess it was my fault since I was traveling so much. My dad kind of took over her. It’s so funny to see him. She’s this little seven-pound thing, but he loves that dog. It’s so funny.

We had the two Labs for like a year before and we were a little scared at how they’d act around her, because she’s so tiny, but they all love each other. It’s a big happy family.

INSIDE: Since winning Olympic gold, you’ve been able to do a lot of cool things. What’s been the most exciting, for you?

LIUKIN: All the TV shows were so cool: Leno, Oprah, Conan, the View, Gossip Girl. Everyone always asks me: ‘What’s the favorite celebrity you’ve got to meet?’ And it’s really [tennis star] Maria Sharapova. I met her at Fashion Week and we just had a connection. She’s an athlete. She’s Russian. And she’s really nice. We’ve stayed in touch.

Doing all the [fashion stuff], the Max Azria campaign, the Red Dress [show]. That was awesome! I’ve always loved [fashion,] I just never had the time or opportunity to do it before the Olympics. It’s something I’ve always loved. I’d love to [do more]. I recently did a photo shoot for [the] May [issue of] Signature LA Direct and that was very fashion-y. I love doing shoots like that, where you don’t have to be in a leotard. Any opportunity [like that] I get that fits in my with schedule I want to do, but as of right now, gymnastics is definitely my priority.

INSIDE: Have you had to turn down some opportunities, due to training, that you otherwise would have done?

LIUKIN: There have been some things. Because I’m 100 percent committed to gymnastics right now it doesn’t always work. That’s something I’ve learned from this journey. Before the Olympics I never took [more than] a day off and all my sponsors knew that. I’m thankful that they understood that. It’s hard, sometimes, but that’s what it took to become what I am today.

(Laughs) Now it’s, like, a good week if I’m only gone one day. But most of the trips are really short. I’m trying to do a balance.

INSIDE: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

LIUKIN: Ten years from now I think—I mean, I’m sure; [I’ll be] 30 (laughs)— I’ll be done competing gymnastics. But I hope to be involved with the sport a long time; just because it’s something I’ve loved to do for so long. Whether it’s just doing clinics or camps, I don’t know, but I definitely want to be involved some way.

[I’m] definitely [interested in] choreography, but, in terms of full-time coaching, I’m not set on that. Hopefully I’ll be graduated from college by then. Honestly? I’m not that sure where I’ll be in 10 years. I don’t think I’d like to create a career out of it, but I’d like to do a little bit of acting and something with fashion.

We’ll see. That’s a long way off.