Liukin seeks to emulate father

Gymnast Nastia Liukin participates in the floor exercise at the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team trials in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 22, 2008.

BEIJING (Reuters) - As the daughter of Olympic and world champion gymnasts, it is little wonder Nastia Liukin mastered the art of performing flips and somersaults before she was barely out of nappies.

The only child of 1988 Soviet Olympic gold-medalist Valery Liukin and 1987 world rhythmic title holder Anna Kotchneva, Nastia wasted little time in proving that she had inherited the family's sporting genes.

"My parents tell me, when I was very, very young, I used to run around with a ribbon in my hand, throw it up in the air, then run out and do a cartwheel," Liukin, who was born in Moscow but raised in the United States, told Reuters in an interview while preparing for the Beijing Games.

"I loved being in the gym and I loved being in my leotard. I would never take it off and I would try and go to sleep in it. When I fell asleep, my parents would come into my room and take it off and I'd start crying as I wanted to sleep in my leotard."

So when she won gold medals on the balance beam and asymmetric bars on her world championships debut in 2005, many predicted the American had taken the first step towards achieving Olympic immortality.

Never mind that rival Chellsie Memmel had pipped her for the all-round crown by .001 of a point. Liukin proved that was a minor hiccup when she left Melbourne as the most successful gymnast with four medals.

Standing at 1.60 meters tall, the gymnast is the perfect blend of grace and athleticism. In the era of power-packed athletes, Liukin stands out because she executes her gravity-defying skills with an effortless style.

Although she has yet to prove her credentials at an Olympics -- she was too young to make the cut in Athens four years ago -- Liukin's fan club already boasts a notable member.

INJURY

"I look at her in complete awe as she does the most beautiful gymnastics I've seen," Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton said.

Yet despite her obvious talent, Liukin has yet to get her hands on a global all-round title. An ankle injury ruined her 2006 season and last year she was eclipsed by the spectacular debut of fellow American Shawn Johnson.

While some feared Liukin's time had passed, she is ready to prove her critics wrong when the gymnastics competition begins at the National Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

"I'm over the criticism. I do gymnastics not to prove to anybody that I'm an all-round gymnast. I do it because I love it," she said. "I really am truly excited for this year because I've been working for so many years and suddenly this is like 'The Year'."

Liukin also believes she could not have achieved so much success if it had not been for her father's training instincts.

In many other sports, female athletes coached by their fathers often end up having strained relationships with them.

Tennis players Jelena Dokic and Mary Pierce had well documented rifts with their coaching fathers.

Liukin, however, seems to have found the right balance.

"Having my dad as my coach, that helps as he's been there and he's done that. He knows me personally better then anyone will ever know me," explained Liukin.

"He knows which skills are best for me. Sometimes, it does get a little tough, because we are both such perfectionists. When things don't go how we want them to, we both get frustrated.

"At the gym he is only my coach and when we step out of the gym, he is my father. But without him, I wouldn't be where I am today."