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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 26: 2008 Olympic All-Around champion Nastia Liukin welcomes … [+] competitors prior to the start of the Nastia Liukin Cup at Indiana Convention Center on February 26, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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When 14-time Olympic and World Medalist Nastia Liukin launched the Nastia Liukin Cup in 2010, she wanted to celebrate the accomplishments of young female gymnasts on and off the mat. Today it’s not only one of the most coveted and prestigious events in the sport of gymnastics, but it’s also an excellent example of how to transition from elite athlete to entrepreneur.
“Nastia knew that she wanted to give back to the sport in a meaningful way,” says her talent agency SMITH&SAINT. “And in creating the Nastia Liukin Cup, she has developed an event where every small detail is a reflection of Nastia, and who she is.”
Nastia Liukin Cup Marks 15 Years
Tomorrow’s high-caliber competition at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville marks the 15th year of the Nastia Liukin Cup, a USA Gymnastics meet that features 44 Level 10 women’s artistic gymnasts who have qualified for the competition by winning one of 22 qualifying events throughout the country. Liukin designed to event with USA Gymnastics to highlight Level 10 athletes in the Women’s Development Program, giving them the opportunity to compete on the same podium as their elite counterparts.
In creating the event, Liukin, who is the 2008 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion, wanted the focus to go beyond just a competition. She wanted to build an experience for the athletes, where she could share her wealth of knowledge and cultivate an environment to forge friendships and connections with each other in what can be a grueling sport. The weekend begins with athlete gifting and an athlete recognition welcome. This year’s dinner is at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. And oh yeah, there’s a lot of pink, on the athletes and on Liukin, who styles herself for the Cup by working with small artists to create custom pink jackets or dresses.
Bringing the special elements of the event to life each year requires a dedicated team including USA Gymnastics and, of course, Liukin herself, according to SMITH&SAINT. “As her namesake event, it’s incredibly important for Nastia to be involved in the planning and execution of the event. Her touch is on every part of the schedule, collateral and the overarching experience. She also works directly with our leotard sponsor — this year’s is OZONE — to design the custom leotards, warm-ups and other apparel that each athlete will receive with the perfect amount of pink and the perfect amount of sparkle.”
Olympian Achieves Something New
When SMITH&SAINT began working with Liukin in 2018, they immediately recognized the incredible potential for her post-competition brand evolution. “She was 10 years out from winning the 2008 Olympics and was looking for a boost in her career. We saw an opportunity to bring out the traits that had led her to winning the Olympics — she’s dynamic, disciplined and detail-oriented — and apply them to other passions, including creating meaningful, valuable content for her audience as an ‘influencer,’ while keeping her foothold in multiple other avenues like speaking, commentating, involvement in the Olympic movement, and, the Nastia Liukin Cup.”
The talent agency has made a name for itself since representing Liukin. In the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, they represented ⅗ of the gold-medal winning Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team, including Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera, as well as two-time Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik.
“We understand that finding a passion that is equally as fulfilling as sport is a huge piece of the puzzle, and it’s our job to help identify what those opportunities might be. For Nastia, stepping into a new chapter meant leaving the understanding that she was ‘just a gymnast’ behind, not only for herself, but also for her audience base. Stepping outside of that box, as she has called it, allowed her to harness the confidence she needed to be a trailblazer in the athlete-to-entrepreneur community, creating a blueprint for success for so many that have come after her.”
How to Watch the Nastia Liukin Cup
See Liukin and some of the country’s top Level 10 female gymnasts in action during the Nastia Liukin Cup on Sunday, February 23 at 12:30 p.m. ET. on USA Gymnastics’ YouTube channel.
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