OnlyOnAOL: Gold medalist Nastia Liukin on Simone Biles: She's the best ever
Nastia Liukin won the coveted all-around gymnastics gold at the 2008 Olympics. And since taking home her medal, she's earned a professional studies degree from New York University and gotten engaged to businessman Matt Lombardi.
Life off the beam, says Liukin, "has been great. School has been a huge accomplishment, another milestone. I'm moving on with my life but am still so involved in gymnastics. It's my first love."
SEE MORE: Everything you need to know about the Summer Olympics
And it's why she, along with the rest of us, will be watching the women compete this week in Rio. Like Gabby Douglas, who made the 2016 team after winning gold in 2012, Liukin tried for a comeback.
"I went to Olympic trials in 2012. On my best event, the uneven bars, I fell flat on my face. That was a defining moment in my career. I knew I was not going to make a second Olympic team. And yet I got a standing ovation. It made me realize so much about myself. I thought people wouldn't love me unless I won a gold medal," she says.
When one door slams shut, another opens. "Because I didn't make the team, I started working with NBC. Everything happens for a reason. I got to go to London and I'll be commentating in Rio," says Liukin.
Still, the landing has been rough at times. "The transition hasn't been smooth. Gymnastics defined who I was as a person for 22 years. Who am I? I've had so many transitions. One of those was after the Olympics when I won. What do I do now?"
Well, that involves analyzing the five-woman team competing in Rio: Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, Laurie Hernandez and team captain Aly Raisman. It's anchored by powerhouse Biles, whose athleticism is jaw-dropping.
"They are probably the best group of women USA Gymnastics has ever produced. A lot of that has to do with Simone. She is, in my mind, the best gymnast that has ever lived. She's the most powerful. The skills that she does, with the ease she does them -- it's insane. There won't be anyone else like her. She's set the bar really high. And you have Gabby and Aly, who are two-time gold medalists," says Liukin.
Look for Biles to go home loaded with medals. "With Simone, there is no one better than her," says Liukin.
By: Donna Freydkin
