US gold made in Russia
AS Nastia Liukin won the Olympic individual all-around gold medal for the United States yesterday, her father Valeri flashed back 20 years to when he was competing for the Soviet Union at the Seoul Games.
Valeri Liukin narrowly missed out on the men’s individual gold in 1988, a failure that still rankles even though he secured two Olympic gold in other events before moving to Texas and establishing himself as a top coach.
Graceful: Nastia Liukin of the US in action during the floor exercise in the individual all-around gymnastics final Friday.
A smiling Liukin said that guiding the daughter he took from Russia to the United States as a toddler to the Olympic title completed unfinished business dating back two decades.
“I guess Nastia fixed that little mistake I had,” he said after his daughter edged out the favourite for the title, US team-mate Shawn Johnson, to the gold.
“It’s the best feeling in the world, I don’t think any father could describe it, after all the work we’ve done. Especially since it’s 20 years since I competed in an Olympic Games and I came second.”
Valeri said his daughter’s gold meant more to him than his own medals, although he jokingly pointed out to her that with one gold and one silver in Beijing, she had not overtaken his tally of two gold and two silver.
“I’m still fighting for that medal count with him, he has four, so I have a few more to go,” Nastia said.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him there on the floor exactly 20 years after he competed.”
She said her father’s medals from the final years of the Soviet era had helped inspire her own success as she trained in Texas to represent the United States in Beijing.
“Before the Olympic Games I made a little board with pictures and things that inspire me and put it in my room,” she said.
“One day my mom came up there and she brought his Olympic medal and hung it up there next to it so I saw it every day when I woke up so it gave me that extra bit of motivation.”
Nastia said she retained strong links to Russia but her allegiance lay with the adopted homeland in which she grew up.
“I do feel a little bit more of an American than a Russian but I’m very proud of my heritage,” she said.
“I go back at least once a year and visit my grandparents and family and friends.
“That makes it really special for me and I guess when I’m there I feel a little bit more Russian until I start speaking Russian and people start to give me looks ... I have a little bit of an accent in Russian I guess.”
Valeri said his love of gymnastics outweighed his considerations for national boundaries.
“I don’t mind in which country I’m working, in which country I’m training children,” he said via a translator, unconsciously slipping from Russian to English mid-sentence as he spoke.
“I love America. America has given me many opportunities. I don’t think I would be able to achieve such results in Russia 15 years ago, at that time it was almost impossible.
“We love Russia very much but we proudly represent the USA.” – AFP
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/8/16/olympics/22103824&sec=Olympics
AS Nastia Liukin won the Olympic individual all-around gold medal for the United States yesterday, her father Valeri flashed back 20 years to when he was competing for the Soviet Union at the Seoul Games.
Valeri Liukin narrowly missed out on the men’s individual gold in 1988, a failure that still rankles even though he secured two Olympic gold in other events before moving to Texas and establishing himself as a top coach.
Graceful: Nastia Liukin of the US in action during the floor exercise in the individual all-around gymnastics final Friday.
A smiling Liukin said that guiding the daughter he took from Russia to the United States as a toddler to the Olympic title completed unfinished business dating back two decades.
“I guess Nastia fixed that little mistake I had,” he said after his daughter edged out the favourite for the title, US team-mate Shawn Johnson, to the gold.
“It’s the best feeling in the world, I don’t think any father could describe it, after all the work we’ve done. Especially since it’s 20 years since I competed in an Olympic Games and I came second.”
Valeri said his daughter’s gold meant more to him than his own medals, although he jokingly pointed out to her that with one gold and one silver in Beijing, she had not overtaken his tally of two gold and two silver.
“I’m still fighting for that medal count with him, he has four, so I have a few more to go,” Nastia said.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him there on the floor exactly 20 years after he competed.”
She said her father’s medals from the final years of the Soviet era had helped inspire her own success as she trained in Texas to represent the United States in Beijing.
“Before the Olympic Games I made a little board with pictures and things that inspire me and put it in my room,” she said.
“One day my mom came up there and she brought his Olympic medal and hung it up there next to it so I saw it every day when I woke up so it gave me that extra bit of motivation.”
Nastia said she retained strong links to Russia but her allegiance lay with the adopted homeland in which she grew up.
“I do feel a little bit more of an American than a Russian but I’m very proud of my heritage,” she said.
“I go back at least once a year and visit my grandparents and family and friends.
“That makes it really special for me and I guess when I’m there I feel a little bit more Russian until I start speaking Russian and people start to give me looks ... I have a little bit of an accent in Russian I guess.”
Valeri said his love of gymnastics outweighed his considerations for national boundaries.
“I don’t mind in which country I’m working, in which country I’m training children,” he said via a translator, unconsciously slipping from Russian to English mid-sentence as he spoke.
“I love America. America has given me many opportunities. I don’t think I would be able to achieve such results in Russia 15 years ago, at that time it was almost impossible.
“We love Russia very much but we proudly represent the USA.” – AFP
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/8/16/olympics/22103824&sec=Olympics
