24 Facts About Valeri Liukin

Valeri Viktorovich Liukin is a Kazakh-American retired artistic gymnast currently working as a gymnastics coach.

Valeri Liukin was the first man to do a triple back flip on floor and both a layout Tkatchev and a Jaeger with full twist on high bar.

Valeri Liukin has one of the most difficult skills in men's artistic gymnastics named after him, the triple back somersault.

Valeri Liukin moved to the United States in 1992 and became a US citizen in 2000.

Valeri Liukin is married to Anna Kotchneva, and is the father and coach of 2008 Olympic champion Nastia Liukin.

On 15 December 2015, it was announced that Valeri Liukin had been inducted as part of the 2016 class into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Valeri Liukin coached the Brazilian women's national gymnastics team as of 2018.

Valeri Liukin moved to Moscow to join the Soviet Junior National team, where he made his international debut at the 1983 Friendship Cup.

Valeri Liukin won the silver medal on the still rings and the bronze on the vault.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Valeri Liukin won the gold medal in the team competition and was the co-champion on the horizontal bar with fellow Soviet gymnast Vladimir Artemov.

Valeri Liukin won the silver medal in the all-around and on the parallel bars.

Valeri Liukin won the bronze medal in the all-around behind teammates Grigory Misutin and Vitaly Scherbo.

Valeri Liukin coached the USA's second consecutive all around Olympic champion, his daughter, Nastia Valeri Liukin, to the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Valeri Liukin earned silver on uneven bars, silver on balance beam, and bronze in the floor exercise.

Notable gymnasts trained by Valeri Liukin include 2010 National Champion and 6-time world medalist Rebecca Bross as well as 2011 junior National champion and 2013 American Cup champion Katelyn Ohashi.

However, Rebecca Bross and Nastia Valeri Liukin both failed to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic team.

Valeri Liukin was the International Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2004.

Valeri Liukin was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2005.

Several gymnasts trained by Valeri Liukin, including Megan Marenghi, Katelyn Ohashi and Vanessa Atler, have come forward and accused Valeri Liukin of repeatedly shaming them about their weight even as young adolescents, leading several of them to develop eating disorders and depression.

In 2022, Valeri Liukin was under investigation by the United States Center for SafeSport for allegedly verbally and psychologically abusing athletes and pressuring them to train or compete with broken bones or while ill.

Valeri Liukin married Anna Kotchneva, a 1987 World Champion rhythmic gymnast, while still competing himself.

In 1992, Valeri Liukin moved to the United States and began a coaching career.

Valeri Liukin originally settled in New Orleans, but later moved to Plano, Texas.

Valeri Liukin had a small cameo in the film Stick It as the spotter in his daughter's uneven bars routine.