Decades Since Founding Her Own League, Nastia Liukin Expresses Relief at Avoiding Today’s Tide of Negativity

Published 03/12/2024, 10:30 AM EDT

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With the Paris Olympics getting closer day by day, the gymnastic world is surrounded by hype and excitement. Nastia Liukin, who is one of the pioneers in the gymnastics world, shared her views with the gymnasts looking forward to competing on the grandest stage. Along similar lines, the legendary is back to her roots – Gymnastics and addressed the effects of social media upon athletes.

In the age where past losses affect the confidence of an athlete, she advised, “Try to be present and be in the moment”. She also expressed her gratitude and talked about a concern that was left unspoken. 

Addressing the challenges with real-life solutions

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In her recent interview with E! News at the Gold Meets Golden event, Nastia Liukin shared her past experiences and advice to the new gymnasts. During her interview, the 34-year-old raised an issue that was not discussed at all. “I’m just glad that I competed in an era where I didn’t have social media”, she commented on today’s age, where social media has control over everything, even on the athlete’s confidence.

She tried to motivate the athletes in the midst of pressure as she said, “It goes by so quickly.” Being a five-time Olympic medalist herself, the gymnast gave a sneak-peak into the mind of an athlete during the journey. By mentioning about journalizing her entire sports journey, the gymnast expressed her happiness for not living in the social media age.

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“I wrote in it every single day,” she added , and I have that for the rest of my life.” She offered insight about how social media makes blocking out the negativity a challenging task. The gymnast, however, shared some words to help out maintaining positivity during the overwhelming pressure with giving way to new generation, “As long as you feel like you’re being the best version of you and you can stand true to yourself.” 

Passing the torch to the new generation 

Nastia Liukin was one of the best in her era, with tremendous achievements adorned to her name. By sharing her challenges and ways to face it, she is guiding the gymnasts who are suffering from the same fate. Through her wise words, she is passing the torch so that the new generation can follow her footsteps. 

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Nastia Liukin competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where she won five medals, including the Gold in individual all-around. She also got the silver medal on the balance beam and the bronze for the floor, alongside leading her team to the silver. The 34-year old has built up a legacy that continues to shine on even today. 

Read More: “I… See Her As.. Intimidating Gold Medalist”: 19-Year-Old Fellow Gymnast Initially Feared Simone Biles’ Larger Than Sport Image

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Written by:

Anchal Ahuja

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Anchal Ahuja is a senior Olympic Sports Correspondent at EssentiallySports. With over 5 years of experience in journalism, Anchal decided to pursue her love for sports and cover various pathways of the Olympics. She actively covers swimming, track and field, and gymnastics.
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Edited by:

Sampurna Pal