Nastia Liukin Retired Gymnast

Olympic gymnasts compete in a sport that render years of intense training worthless in the blink of an eye; the window often slams shut before an Olympic hopeful graduates high school, and for the best of the best, an injury or an off day can end the dream in crushing fashion.
Retired Russian American gymnast Nastia Liukin is one of those rare greats who never seemed phased by the intense pressure to win; she not only won gold in the women s individual all around at the 2008 Summer Games, but she did so with grace and beauty.