Gymnast Nastia Liukin reveals medical condition with upside-down splits

Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin‘s jaw-dropping splits this week came with both confidence and a reveal. The 31-year-old five-time Olympic medalist highlighted her signature sense of humor by saying she’s “still got it,” but with a caption that spoke of an invisible medical condition, Nastia’s Thursday Instagram update was about more than just the flexibility.

Posting for her 1 million Instagram followers, Nastia shared three photos of her rubber-band body on the beam. Her post, a promotional one, also earned her some top-up cash.

Nastia Liukin wows with a reveal

Scroll for the photos. Liukin, who has been making July headlines for her APL footwear collab and preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, shared an indoor gymnasium shot. The 2008 all-around champion, who was just 22 when she retired back in 2012, flaunted her Olympian skills while delivering a flawless, pointed-toe split – wearing candy-pink leggings and a sports bra, the blonde seemed at ease while upside-down, using her steely-strong arms to balance herself high above the ground.

Nastia opened: “STILL GOT IT, kind of!” as she admitted that “training looks a lot different these days than it once did.” Then came a reveal that fans might not necessarily have known about.

“What some of you might not know is that I struggled with frequent #migraines leading up to some very special moments in my life. They were debilitating, and I didn’t have a solution. Now I finally do,” she wrote.

Joining the likes of 37-year-old reality star Khloe Kardashian in promoting migraine medication, Nastia name-dropped Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant). For Liukin, the med “alleviates pain quickly and lets me get back to the important things in life.”

Nastia abided by Instagram’s regulations, fully disclosing that the post was paid. The star made 2020 headlines for extending her legs in a bubble bath for Olay, with 2021 seeing her partner up with both Facebook App and Pottery Barn amid other brands. Employing a little more humor, Nastia added that “migraines suck” as she encouraged fans to mention the medication to their doctor.

Nastia joins the growing list of celebrities including prescription medication promos on their Instagram – and it isn’t just reality star Khloe. Earlier this year, 40-year-old fashion mogul Jessica Simpson made headlines for promoting an eczema cream from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.

Nastia received a mixed response as her post went live. “Really, a pharmaceutical?!?” one fan wrote. Echoing the thought as they raised an eyebrow, another told the gymnast: “Real talk, do you actually use these or is this just an ad for you to make money off of?”