Nastia Liukin highlights field for ’09 CoverGirl Classic
July 16, 2009 by jane
Filed under Gymnastics, Olympics
CoverGirl Classic
It might sound like the CoverGirl Classic is a modeling event or pageant of some kind. In fact, it’s a gymnastics competition taking place next weekend at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa.
2008 Olympic all-around champion and recent ESPY Award winner Nastia Liukin, along with 2008 Olympic team silver-medalist Samantha Peszek are among 132 women expected to compete in the event. Shawn Johnson won this competition in 2006 and went on to win multiple national titles and Olympic medals.
Since winning the Olympic all-around gold medal, along with two silvers and two bronzes, Liukin has taken up modeling, started her own clothing line, and dabbled in acting. Last night, she was in Los Angeles for the ESPY awards where she became the first gymnast to garner the “Best Female Athlete” trophy. Her teammate Shawn Johnson, won “Best Female Olympian.”
But now Liukin is getting down to her real business: being a world-class gymnast. She plans to perform on beam at the CoverGirl Classic, her first meet since the Olympic Games.
Liukin is using the Classic as preparation for her return to competitive gymnastics at the 2009 Visa National Championships, Aug. 12-15 in her hometown of Dallas, where fans might get a peek at her new, top-secret floor set.
The online gymnastics community has been buzzing ever since Liukin announced in April, via her Twitter feed (@NLiukin), she was getting a new routine. Liukin, who wants to keep her music selection “a surprise,” is shocked at the level interest her tweet has prompted.
The Classic, which is set to be televised and streamed online via Universal Sports, takes place July 25th. U.S. Olympians Tasha Schwikert and John Roethlisberger will call the action for the Universal simulcast, from 7-9 p.m. CT, and Liukin will join the broadcast team following the first rotation as a correspondent on the floor.
While it’s great that big sponsors such as Visa and CoverGirl are involved with gymanstics (along with Tyson and others), it does tend to take focus away from the event at hand. Can we at least keep some descriptive wording in the titles? Maybe the US Classic Gymnastics Competition presented by Cover Girl or the USA Gymnastics National Championships presented by Visa. Just a thought.
In any case, looking forward to seeing Liukin back in action.
