Olympic Champion’s Career Ends with Faceplant Fall, Tweets About It (VIDEO)

July 3, 2012

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Olympic Champion’s Career Ends with Faceplant Fall, Tweets About It (VIDEO)

Olympic Champion, Nastia Liukin, had a rough time at the 2012 Olympic Team Trials in San Jose on Sunday night, enduring a hard-hitting fall off the uneven bars.

With help from her coach/spotter (also her father), 22-year-old Liukin composed herself and finished with a polished routine, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. Still, the early fall cost her with a sub-par score of 13.950 and no chance of making the Olympic team for the 2012 London Games.

As an all-around medalist in the 2008 Beijing Games, the journey to the 2012 Games was not expected to be an easy one for Liukin. In fact, no Olympic gymnastics champion has returned to the subsequent games since Nadia Comaneci did in 1980.

Liukin will go to London as the athlete representative for the Federation of International Gymnasts. While retired from gymnastics, she plans to attend NYU in January.

Liukin competed with class and grace and will surely be remembered for her career successes, as evident from her tweets post-trials:

Thank you to the 18,000 people that gave me a standing ovation tonight. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.
— Nastia Liukin (@NastiaLiukin) July 2, 2012

Most importantly…Thank u to my parents & special people in my life that always kept me calm, believed in me & shown their love & support.
— Nastia Liukin (@NastiaLiukin) July 2, 2012

Overwhelmed by the love and support. I would have never imagined anything like this… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Xo NL
— Nastia Liukin (@NastiaLiukin) July 2, 2012

Xoxo RT @EvanLysacek: So proud of @NastiaLiukin. A great fight and a great Champion!
— Nastia Liukin (@NastiaLiukin) July 2, 2012

And here’s how she was celebrated by fans and peers:

Hysterical crying watching the reaction to Nastia Liukin on bars. That crowd was amazing!!!!! #Champion
— Michael Buckley(@buckhollywood) July 2, 2012

@NastiaLiukin is a class act and im proud to say she’s one of my best friends
— Samantha Peszek (@samanthapeszek) July 2, 2012

Nastia Liukin has earned my eternal respect for finishing when she clearly just wanted to lie there and cry. #olympictrials #gymnastics
— Jon Pyle (@jonpyle) July 2, 2012

I’m happy @NastiaLiukin finished her routine strong…many would have walked away…she showed she is a true champion in all circumstances.
— Dominique Dawes (@dominiquedawes) July 2, 2012