Olympic gymnast comes to Martin City
Olympic gold medal gymnast Nastia Liukin will be visiting Martin City.
The 2008 All-Around Champion will be in town visiting Eagles Gymnastics, 209 W 135 St., on Monday, April 15, from 7-8 pm. Eagles Gymnastics is one of three gyms in the Kansas City area to be honored with her appearance. Lukin is promoting the U.S. Gymnastics Championships to be held in Kansas City at the Sprint Center this August.
Luikin’s short visit will include a talk followed by photo opportunities. “It’s exciting for everyone!” says Kim Fuchs, owner of Eagles Gymnastics, which has as many as 700 enrollees.
Eagles was chosen for the lucky visit by being one of the three top gyms in the metropolitan area to sell the most pre-sale tickets to the August event. “We sold $35,000 worth in tickets,” Fuchs says. She says tickets are still available for sale.
Simone Biles signes Eagles’ Blue Block. 
Lauriei Hernandez signs Eagles’ Blue Block.
Fuchs hopes to collect Luikin’s signature on the Eagle’s Blue Block, which also showcases the signatures of 2016 Olympic medalists Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez.
Liukin was born in Russia to two former Soviet champion gymnasts who moved to the United States when she was two years of age. With her father, Valeri Luikin, as her coach, Liukin won a total of five medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, tying the U.S. gymnastics record for most medals in one Olympic Games. She also won nine World medals in her career. Liukin has graced many magazine covers and appeared on various shows, including “Gossip Girl,” “Make It or Break It,” and the feature film, “Stick It.” Liukin was a contestant in the 2015 spring edition of “Dancing with the Stars” and was the grand marshal for the 2015 Indianapolis 500. She currently serves as a gymnastics analyst for NBC Sports..
In 2009, Luikin and USA Gymnastics partnered to create the Nastia Liukin Cup for the country’s top Junior Olympic gymnasts. The competition takes place in North Carolina in late February.
The U.S. Gymnastics Championships return to Kansas City for the first time since 1987. Held Aug. 8-11 at the Sprint Center, the four-day championships feature the country’s best gymnasts vying for national titles and national team berths. Additionally, the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show will be held at the Kansas City Convention Center in conjunction with the championships.
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