Gymnast Liukin competes again

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Not bad after almost a year off. Not bad at all.

Olympic champion Nastia Liukin returned to competition for the first time since the Beijing Games on Saturday night, and it looked as if she’d barely been away. She posted the second-best score on balance beam, her only event, and her 14.5 was only .1 points behind teammate Ivana Hong.

Liukin looked relieved when she finished, while her father and coach Valeri nodded his head as if to say, “OK.” Liukin plans to compete at the national championships next month in her hometown of Dallas, and the Cover Girl Classic was a warm-up to get her back in the routine of competition.

Liukin, only the third U.S. woman to win the Olympic title, has been on a whirlwind since Beijing, including picking up female athlete of the year at the ESPYs last week. But the appearances, photo shoots and commercial opportunities have made a consistent training schedule almost impossible.

Slowly, though, she’s regaining her form.

Liukin appeared nervous as she stepped onto the mat Saturday night, shaking her hands and swinging her arms. While her routine lacked some of its usual difficulty — her dismount was watered down — it was still impressive.

She began by placing her fingertips on the beam and pressing herself into the splits, slowly unfurling her long legs without the slightest shake or hesitation. She landed one front somersault without ever putting one of her feet on the beam, brushing it back until her leg is fully extended behind her. It’s incredibly difficult — try doing it on flat ground, let alone 4 feet in the air — yet she made it look effortless.

Her only flaw was a wobble near the end of her routine, but she quickly steadied herself.

She exchanged hugs with several gymnasts after she finished, including fellow Olympian Samantha Peszek, who was also making her return to competition. Then, her night done, Liukin walked over to collect her bag and a hug from her mother, Anna, slapping hands with several young girls in the audience along the way.