Liukin at July's ESPY awards. AP Photo/Philip Scott Andrews
In opting out of competing at next month's World Gymnastics Championships in London, Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin did herself -- and team USA -- a big favor.
By withdrawing from the World team selection process, Liukin hopefully gets a much-needed vacation. Meanwhile, U.S. National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi gets to pick a more prepared gymnast to travel to London in Liukin's stead.
Whether Liukin would have been chosen as a member of the four-woman U.S. squad for the World Championships is irrelevant now. But by withdrawing gracefully, she saves Karolyi from having to make a bad choice -- whether to include the 2008 Olympic gold medalist because of who she can be or leave her off the team in spite of who she is.
In trying to come back for a second Olympics after winning Olympic all-around gold, Liukin is fighting against history. Post Nadia, although Olympic champions have competed after winning the Games (Mary Lou Retton, for example, won the 1985 American Cup) declared intentions to return to the international stage (1996 Olympic gold medalist Lilia Podkopayeva competed at the 1997 European Masters and would have been at the 1997 World Championships had it not been for an injury) and even done so successfully (think Andreea Raducan in 2001 and 2002), nobody has actually made it to a second Games.
Liukin seems determined, though.
"My heart & soul is still out there on the floor.... Forever & always. I'll be back," she tweeted Monday.
Comments
Your point is true to some extent, though other non-gold medalist have made it to a second Olympics (e.g. Shannon Miller, Milo, Dawes, Chusovitina, etc), can she win all-around again 2012? who knows, the odds are against Nastia but for gymnastics fans it'll be great to watch and see where she stands.
Marta had no right putting her on this team and the fact that she let Nastia know she could look like crap and still get chosen for this team should concern ALL gym fans. It proves Martha is about Martha and not what is best for the team
She wasn't on the team yet GymFan. Martha commented at Nationals that Nastia had a lot of work to do in order to make the team. She was just invited to the selection camps, as was almost all of the National Team.
I agree, I don't think Martha would have put Nastia on the team if she wasn't ready. Martha (quite rightly) has USA Gymnastics in mind, not herself or Nastia. She wants to send the athletes who have the best chance of winning medals to London. From what everyone saw at Nationals, and what Nastia herself has said, there was not enough time for Nastia to be in top, medal-contention shape. It was a smart move for everyone concerned. I'm so happy that Nastia is taking some time off though, and excited to see her come back with renewed enthusiasm, some of those rumoured new skills, and that brand new floor routine, which I'm sure will be exquisite.
duh...what about the great Khorkina? Why didn't you mention her? duh!!!
You would think it would be better fort a team to have as much competition to make it as possible. Then again, maybe girl's gym is still awash with scoring intrigue and not really following codes and rewarding best athlete.
I think it was the best decision for Nastia and the team.. shows the level of sportsmanship nastia has.. and really there was no way Martha would have sent Nastia to worlds to compete one event in which she not even medal on at nationals.. (unless there would have been a HUGE improvement bewteen now and then , and as it was said she didn't have to time to put into her training to make that improvement).
She dosen't need expereince.. the younger newer faces of USA gymnastics do.. all in all smart move for herself and the team
I really hope she sticks to it after all her commitments are honored..
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