Making History
When we think of athletes, it’s quite difficult to comprehend the driving force behind their talent. It is an entirely different story if you make it to the Olympics and actually break stereotypes or win awards. Olympic athletes are already considered celebrities, despite the wide gap of the definition.
Frans Van Heerden/Pexels
The Olympics only happen every four years, so these athletes have so much time to prepare to make history. But for some, especially those that have been in the sport for too long, they decide to retire early and make way for new opportunities. Sometimes, we hear from them, sometimes, we don’t. In this article we find out what these award-winning athletes are up to today.
Dominique Moceanu
Dominique’s parents were both gymnasts in Romania, so when Dominique was born, they had early aspirations for her gymnastics career. It was said that even as she was just a toddler, her parents would test her strength by having her hang from a clothesline. When she entered into competitive gymnastics, she joined the gold-medal-winning US Women’s Gymnastics Team called the “Magnificent Seven” in the 1996 Summer Olympics. She was also the last gymnast to compete legally at the Olympics at only just 14 years old.
Dominique Moceanu Gymnastics Center
Moceanu had a lot going for her. In 2006, she married a former Ohio State gymnast and now podiatrist, Dr. Michael Canales. However, in 2008, Moceanu spoke out about the abuse and manipulation she went through while on training with Marta and Béla Károlyi. A few years after, two fellow gymnasts also helped testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Currently, she’s put up a gymnastics center for aspiring athletes and is hands-on with training.
Nastia Liukin
Anastasia Valeryevna Liukina, or “Nastia” as she is commonly known, is a Russian-born American former gymnast. She won the 2008 Olympic All-Around Champion and is also a five-time Olympic medalist. She also ties in with Shannon Miller’s record for the third-highest tally of World Championship medals – nine World Championship Medals, seven of which were individual. Liukin was also regarded as a key member of the US senior gymnastics team however, after failing several Olympic Trials and other pre-Olympics events, she retired back in 2012.
Business Insider
After her retirement, you would think she’d want nothing to do with the sport. But, no, that wasn’t the case. Nastia became a gymnastics analyst on NBC. She is also a budding entrepreneur – creating and designing her personal collection of leotards. Because her passion for gymnastics hasn’t diminished, she also founded an Olympic qualifying event called The Nastia Liukin Cup.