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Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin to Make Appearance at Friday's Lady Bear Game

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Gymnast Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Olympic All-Around Champion, will make an appearance at the Missouri State women’s basketball game at JQH Arena this Friday (Feb. 27). Liukin, who will be in Springfield to perform during the 2009 Missouri State Winter Games this weekend at Springfield Expo Center, will be honored in a pre-game ceremony prior to the Lady Bears’ 7:05 p.m., contest against Evansville.

Liukin is a five-time Olympic medalist and four-time World Champion, and with her performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she joined 1996 gold medalist Shannon Miller as the most-decorated American  gymnast in World Championship competition. Liukin was named FIG Athlete of the Year, Women’s Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year and U.S. Sports Academy Athlete of the Year in 2008.

In addition to Liukin’s appearance, the first 2,000 fans at Friday night’s game, as well as Sunday’s home finale versus Southern Illinois, will receive a poster commemorating the Lady Bears’ inaugural game at JQH Arena this past November, compliments of Great Southern Bank.