Nastia Liukin On The ‘Wheaties’ Cereal Box
A couple of weeks ago we got our first look at 14-time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps on the front of the new Kellogg’s Corn Flakes cereal box and today we get our first look at 5-time Olympic Medalist Nastia Liukin on the front of the famed orange Wheaties box:
Nastia, the third woman to win the Gold Medal in the gymnastics all-around competition, is the latest woman to grace the cover of the Wheaties box (which is known to feature predominantly male athletes of various sports) behind Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson. After the jump, check out a photo of Nastia posing with 2 of her Wheaties boxes and find out what she had to say about appearing on the box of the so-called Breakfast of Champions …
Three American women have won gold in the gymnastics all-around competition. America’s newest sweetheart, Liukin, will follow in the footsteps of fellow all-around champions Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson by joining the Breakfast of Champions family. Liukin led American gymnasts by capturing five medals on the world stage in Beijing, including individual gold in the all-around, silver in the uneven bars and balance beam, and bronze in the floor exercise. She also helped lead the Americans to silver in the team competition. Both of Liukin’s parents were gymnastics champions, and, at 18, the Parker, Texas resident is already one of the most decorated American gymnasts of all time, with multiple world and national titles. “Every young athlete aspires to one day see their face on the cover of the Wheaties box,” Liukin said. “It’s been a huge inspiration to see great gymnastics champions on the box, like Mary Lou and Carly, plus the ‘Magnificent Seven’ from 1996. It’s a privilege and an honor for me to be on the box, and I’m very excited to be part of the Wheaties tradition.” Liukin credits hard work and determination for her success. “I tell young athletes all the time that if you want to become a champion, you need to stay focused, train hard, and pay attention to what you eat,” she says. Proper nutrition is a critical part of peak performance, and Liukin says that’s why Wheaties was a part of her training regimen. “I’m so thrilled for all of our athletes, but in particular to see Nastia take the gold in the all-around and now get her own Wheaties box,” Retton says. “Wheaties is arguably the first and still one of the foremost brand images in all of sports. It’s an honor for any athlete to be on the box and more than anything it epitomizes what it means to be a true champion” … The soon-to-be-released packages will be available nationally beginning in September, continuing Wheaties’ storied tradition of honoring great American champions dating back to Johnny Weismuller and Babe Didrikson in the 1930s.
Aviator Elinor Smith became the first woman to ever appear on the Wheaties box back in 1934 and Nastia Liukin becomes the latest — so congrats. Even tho appearing on the Wheaties box is basically tantamount to a product endorsement (which some might argue isn’t much of an “achievement” per se … does anyone know if she will be paid?) there is something all-American about appearing on that box of cereal. I’m sure Nastia is proud to be on the box and I say good for her! As far as appearing on cereal boxes go, I don’t think there is any higher honor than scoring the Wheaties box (take that, Michael Phelps) … so, again, congrats! Do y’all think this is worthy of praise?
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Tags: Nastia Liukin, Wheaties cereal
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September 4th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I think it is awesome she is on it! Congrats to her!! She deserves it!!!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I think it’s fantastic! She should be on the box! I’ve always thought of being on the Wheaties as a big deal! It’s a great triumph!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I will never understand the ‘need’ to have a crazy name. That name is horrible. ‘Nastia’.. honestly Americans can be so dumb with what they call their kids.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Uhhh..Nicola..Her parents aren’t American..They’re Russian..She was actually born in Moscow..Soo..Yeah..Sorry to bust your “Down with Americans” bubble..
September 4th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Um Trent – I think you mean the “Third American woman to win the all-around” – not the “third woman”.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
and nicola is normal?? hmmmm….
September 4th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
does anyone even eat Wheaties? I have never seen them in anyone’s pantry.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Her actual name is Anastasia, but Nastia is the Russian nickname for it.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Oh Trent, you and your silly hostility towards Michael Phelps…
:)
September 4th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Hostility? I love Phelpsie … but props to Nastia for winning the Wheaties box.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I was just teasing you, we all love phelpsie. Can’t wait to see him on SNL this weekend!
September 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
…next weekend.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I wanna be balls deep in that!
September 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Nicola, think and gather your facts before you speak your “dumb” opinion! Good luck removing that foot from your mouth.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I think that they might have wanted to pick a better picture for the box, come on this will be is stores everywhere and the poor girl looks slightly Evil but if she likes it more power to her.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Nicola, Nastia is a nickname for Anastasia, which is her given name.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:57 am
they chose such a bad picture of her for the box. she is prettier than that.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:39 am
I don’t know if anyone noticed it, but she used music from the movie “Anastasia” during one of her routines, you know because her real name is Anastasia
September 5th, 2008 at 9:27 am
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September 5th, 2008 at 11:29 am
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September 5th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
isn’t nicola the same one who wrote the huge rant about michael phelps a few weeks ago?
September 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am
That’s a keen piece of work