Watching gymnastics as TV analyst stokes competitive fire in Olympic champion Nastia Liukin

Posted: 13 Aug 2010 08:14 PM PDT

10:14 PM CDT on Friday, August 13, 2010

Column by KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News
Khairopoulos@dallasnews.com

Column by KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News | khairopoulos@dallasnews.com

HARTFORD, Conn. – Nastia Liukin is spending much of the Visa Championships perched prettily on an orange couch. Gymnasts plop down next to the reigning Olympic all-around champion on the XL Center set for post-competition interviews on Universal Sports.

With her flowing blond hair and skinny high heels paired with her gymnastics expertise, Liukin looks and convincingly plays the part of TV analyst. She's also cheering on Plano gymmate Rebecca Bross, coached by Liukin's father, Valeri, who enters tonight's senior women's finals with a dominating lead.

But Liukin, who first competed at the national championships when she was 12 and won senior all-around titles in 2005 and 2006, isn't used to watching the meet from this perspective. And she's not convinced she she likes it.

"Doing this commentating and hosting the show, doing the autograph sessions and my clothing line, I love it," Liukin said. "But it always takes me back to my gymnastics career. That's where my heart is. I have that passion for it. It really is hard to sit here and watch."

Hmm. Hearing London 2012, anyone?

Liukin, who turns 21 in October, refuses to rule anything out, though she's not nearly as emphatic about competing in a second Olympics as she was even a year ago. She could come back and try to defend her all-around title in London. Or she could come back in a limited number of events. Her signature event is the uneven bars, in which the current U.S. team is greatly lacking.

But she could also go on with the rest of her life. If Liukin was in the gym every day, she wouldn't have a clothing line (Supergirl by Nastia at JC Penney) to promote.

Returning to competition after so much time away is brutal in gymnastics. The Visa Championships were held at American Airlines Center last year to honor Liukin. She competed only on the balance beam, perhaps feeling pressure to do something. Meanwhile, most of Beijing's best were still figuring out what comes next.

Liukin hasn't competed since.

But London is now less than two years away. A decision has to come sometime.

Her timeline: the end of this year.

"I'll be in London commentating or competing," Liukin said. "But I do know if I'm sitting in the stands and I know I didn't give it another shot, I'll regret it. I don't like to live with regrets.

"But I'm not committing to anything. I don't want to make a commitment and not live up to it for myself and everyone else."

Valeri Liukin, also Nastia's coach, said there's no telling what his only daughter will decide.

"Nastia's over my head now," he said, smiling.

When Nastia Liukin is home – she has her own place now in Plano, which the self-proclaimed neat freak loves to decorate – she always heads to World Olympic Gymnastics Academy to work out. She also helps Valeri with his current gymnasts, including Bross.

After this month, she plans to get to the gym more regularly to prepare for the Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular, an Oct. 3 show at Allen Event Center with Evan Lysacek, her "good friend" and the 2010 Olympic gold medalist in men's figure skating.

The training could provide a gauge on how she feels about committing to try again.

Tonight, Liukin will be cheering on Bross and hanging out on the couch.

And only she can decide if that's where she's comfortable remaining.

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Gymnastics Sports

Friday, August 13, 2010