Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • - Innovation & Tech
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Snapshot
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • STEAM Learning Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Office of Equal Opportunity
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Program
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Olympic Gymnastics Leotard, worn by Nastia Liukin

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Liukin, Nastia
Elite Sportswear, L.P.
Description (Brief)
Nastia Liukin (b. 1989) grew up in the gyms where her parents trained top athletes after moving to America from her hometown of Moscow at just two and a half. She went on to become one of the most decorated American gymnasts of all time and the first American gymnast to attempt a quadruple twist on floor. She is a five time Olympic medalist, four time World Champion, nine time World medalist, four time US National Champion and has won two American Cup titles and both a Senior and Junior Pacific Rim Championship. Nastia wore this leotard during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China when she won the gold medal for the individual, all-around champion in women’s gymnastics. Following her 2008 win Nastia was named FIG Athlete of the Year, Women's Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year and the United States Sports Academy Female Athlete of the Year.
The 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad were held in Beijing, China with 204 countries, 6,305 men and 4,637 women athletes participating. The swimming competition included 65 World and Olympic records being set which most attribute to the use of the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit developed in part my NASA. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at these games, the most of any athlete in a single Olympic Games and broke many records. The LZR Racer was subsequently banned from competition as they gave the competitor a technical edge that was deemed unfair by FINA, the International Federation used by the International Olympic Committee for overseeing international water sport competitions. BMX racing was added to the cycling events and American Nastia Liukin won gold in the all-around gymnastic competition. Two disabled athletes competed in the Olympics instead of the Paralympics because neither used a prosthesis to give them an advantage in competition. The United States won the medal count with 112 but China won the gold medal count with 12 more than the Americans.
Location
Currently not on view
2008
ID Number
2009.0198.01
accession number
2009.0198
catalog number
2009.0198.01
Object Name
gymnastics leotard
gymnastics leotard, summer olympics
leotard, gymnastics
gymnastics leotard, olympics
Physical Description
polyester (overall material)
nylon (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 20 in x 11 in; 50.8 cm x 27.94 cm
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Highlights from the Culture and the Arts Collection
National Museum of American History
web subject
Sports
level of sport
Olympics
Amateur
name of sport
Gymnastics
related event
Olympic Summer Games: Beijing, 2008
Record ID
nmah_1372119
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-c9dc-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • Going for the Gold: Summer Olympics

  • American Women Athletes:American Women Athletes

Leotard worn by gymnast Nastia Liukin at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top