Nastia Liukin on Why She Thinks Simone Biles Is ‘Better Than Ever’ (Exclusive)

Nastia Liukin is one of the few people who knows what the five athletes on the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team are about to experience in Paris at the 2024 Summer Games later this month.

“You’re part of this family forever, and no matter how many years pass, it’s like there’s a common appreciation and respect for one another based upon you knowing exactly what it takes to get to where they are right now,” the retired gymnast, 34, tells PEOPLE. “I’m so grateful for what the sport and the Olympics gave me, these sisters that I have forever. And I certainly feel that same way now, just being an older sister.”

Liukin, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, caught up with PEOPLE recently while speaking about her new collaboration with Recess Pickleball. The five-time Olympic medalist is teaming up with the brand to launch a collection of pickleball paddles inspired by the 2024 Summer Games, which Liukin says she’ll attend to cheer on her legacy teammates in Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera.

Led by Biles — the 27-year-old, four-time Olympic gold medalist who is competing in her third Summer Games — Team USA is looking to climb back to the top of the gymnastics world after claiming silver in Tokyo.

Biles withdrew from the 2020 Games while dealing with the “twisties,” bringing athletes’ mental health to the forefront of discussion around the sports world. She returned to the sport last year, winning four gold medals at World Championships and establishing herself as the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport with 37 medals in the Olympics and World Championships combined.

“It’s mind boggling that she can continue to be better,” Liukin says. “Just the amount of years that she’s continued to be on top and continued to be better. I’m just very, very proud of all of them and especially her for really just being there on her own terms. You know, she has nothing to prove. If she walked away, people would still be proud, but I think for her being there, it’s a personal journey and I think it’s a personal kind of accomplishment. I’m really proud of her.”

Liukin believes Biles is “truly better than she ever has been.” 

“And I think that in itself is almost hard to believe if you weren’t watching,” Liukin continues. “It’s very rare. It’s rare to continue, and regardless of the expectations and the weight of the world on you, to just continue doing a sport like that, it’s very grueling mentally and physically. So then take everything else on top of that and it’s hard to put into words, because then you look at it from a technical standpoint of gymnastics and watching her gymnastics, it’s like, how are you doing this? I’m in awe.”

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Liukin adds that Biles has been “such a great team leader” for younger competitors joining the fold, like Rivera, the 16-year-old joining Team USA for her first Olympics. Team USA’s predicted lineup for the Olympics saw an adjustment after several probable Olympians, including Shilese Jones, Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello suffered injuries at the U.S. Gymnastics Trials late last month, forcing them out of the competition.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Liukin says. “You never want to see that ever, but especially at big trials. That is probably the worst feeling when you’ve made it that far, and all three of the athletes that got injured could have made that Olympic team. I just pray that they’re able to obviously physically recover from that, but also mentally and emotionally. I can’t imagine how they’re feeling.”

Thus Biles’ veteran experience at the Summer Games will prove vital for Team USA, Liukin believes, helping navigate an already unexpected course for the women’s squad. But regardless of who was to stand at Biles’ side for the upcoming Summer Games in Paris, the retired gymnast is confident Team USA will find success by the time the Olympics end on Aug. 11.

“At the end of the day, I’ve always said that it truly is like you could put any team out there, you could put 10 different people in the lineup and still come out on top,” Liukin says. “It just goes to show the depth that this country has in the sport.”

Liukin, meanwhile, will be enjoying watching from the stands — after retiring from gymnastics, she’s happier playing pickleball rather than hitting the mat.

“It’s something that I love to do, even though it’s not something that I am the best at,” she says of pickleball. “Finding it was the first thing that I have really loved, and actually enjoyed doing since gymnastics.”

That’s why her collaboration with Recess was a perfect match, from meeting the founders to designing the Olympics-themed paddles. And Liukin has big hopes for the sport.

“I think with each paddle, it tells a story, and it’s very much an Olympic collection even though it’s obviously not an Olympic sport — yet.”