Sometimes, sports fans get more than they bargained for. While their love for the sport is undoubtedly what keeps them flocking to stadiums, the intense rivalries that come with the game are also a major draw. Over the years, some truly iconic rivalries between athletes have become almost legendary for fans. However, the tension that developed between Olympians Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin after the 2008 Beijing Olympics remains one of the most polarizing moments in gymnastics history.

Considering the tightly-knit nature of the current U.S. gymnastics squad, it’s hard to believe that two former members of this very group went nearly a decade without speaking to each other. The fact that Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin once called each other best friends makes the story even more astonishing. So, how did they manage to overcome their rift?

A joyous reunion for Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson

Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson East were both key members of Team USA’s gymnastics squad that secured a team silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Additionally, they showcased their exceptional skills by finishing first and second in the individual All-Around final. However, shortly after their Olympic success, the two gymnasts ceased communication with each other. But things have gotten better, and a recent YouTube Short video by Access Hollywood revealed what helped to mend things between the gymnastics duo. In the video, East can be heard saying being training partners and roommates at the Olympics only helped to make their bond stronger. However, the public perception of the friendship became a turning point, especially with both of them being teenagers at the time.

“We had figured out on the competition floor how to be best friends and competitors. But when the world started interjecting how we should handle it, they said we should also be each other’s worst enemies as well,” said East as she swept a painting brush across the easel. However, Liukin remembers that it wasn’t anything that happened between them. “There wasn’t, like, an incident. Like, ever,” she told NBC Sports in 2018.

“Right after the Olympics, the entire world like plotted us against one another,” East told on the matter. But thankfully, the boyfriends of the two gymnasts had enough after a while. “Eight years later, our boyfriends at the time got so tired of hearing us talk about each other, that they said enough of this, just go talk to each other again,” the 32-year-old can be heard in the recent YouTube upload. However, despite their mutual admiration for each other, that night in Beijing was undoubtedly a night they’d both have wanted to win gold.

A titular rivalry in a long list

“We were the last two competitors in the last event. She went up before me and I saw her score, and I remember just thinking, ‘I don’t want you to fall, but I don’t necessarily want you to do your best.’ I remember watching her performance and it was just flawless, and I saw her score and I was just like, ‘Can’t beat that.’ ” East told Just Women’s Sports in 2022. Naturally, Liukin’s stellar performance was a bittersweet moment for her colleague. “It was just an interesting feeling of I was so proud of her and I was so happy for her, and I was so heartbroken,” East stated.

However, such rivalries often transcend the sport itself, becoming legendary as fans rally behind both athletes involved. From the intense rivalry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton during their time at the McLaren F1 racing team to the locker-room feuds between LA Dodgers legends Don Sutton and Steve Garvey, there have been plenty of competitions among teammates to satisfy the insatiable appetite of fans across all sports. Which of these rivalries is your favorite to reminisce about? Share your thoughts in the comments!