'Dancing With the Stars' 2015 Cast: Nastia Liukin Says 'I Am Not Perfect' Amid Personality Criticism
Nastia Liukin wishes that America could have gotten to see the real her during her stint on ABC's Dancing With the Stars.
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Liukin, who came in fourth place with her pro partner Derek Hough this season, is slightly perturbed that the show did not show the full extent of her personality. Often criticized for being too "cold" during her performances, the Olympian recently spoke with Us Weekly to explore that perception and clear things up.
"I feel like I've been criticized for so many years as being this stone-faced, cold athlete, but as a gymnast, you don't talk or show emotion. You go out there to compete!" Liukin explained. "So it was really important for me to open up to America and show them who the real me is. I want people to know that I am not perfect."
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She noted that she's been in plenty of competitions as a gymnast so she's used to sometimes not winning, but she was more upset about the edit she received.
"Of course I would have loved to dance in the finale, but this has nothing to do with that. I wish I had the chance to tell my story the way that everyone else had to tell theirs," she said.
Unfortunately, her partner Hough was sidelined a few weeks before the end of the season, which slightly overshadowed her own journey.
Ultimately though, Liukin did make some "really great friends" during her run on the show and chalked up the experience as "a dream come true."
Liukin and Hough got to dance together again in the finale on Tuesday.
Dancing With the Stars returns in the fall in its regular Mondays at 8 p.m. timeslot on ABC.
