Nastia Liukin Hits ESPYS Red Carpet with New Boyfriend Sam Martin a Year After Ending Engagement
Nastia Liukin and Detroit Lions' Sam Martin have been dating since earlier this year
Nastia Liukin and boyfriend Sam Martin were red carpet ready at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night in California.
The former Olympic gymnast, 29, and Martin of the Detroit Lions, also 29, stepped out together for the annual ceremony after starting up a romance earlier this year.
Liukin wore her hair in a braided high ponytail, and wore a black mini dress with a statement shoulder detail and matching heeled sandals. Martin complimented his girlfriend’s look in a black suit paired with a black tee and white sneakers.
Liukin and Martin’s relationship came not long after the athlete ended her engagement to Matt Lombardi.
“They have mutually and amicably ended their relationship,” a rep for Liukin confirmed to PEOPLE in November 2018, adding that they split for good over the summer last year.
The pair was set to wed in Newport, Rhode Island, on June 24, 2017. But just one month ahead of their celebratory day, Liukin announced that they had decided to postpone their wedding, adding that the choice was career-based and they were still “very in love.”
She told PEOPLE in December of last year that the split was “scary.”
“When it all first happened it was scary because when I met Matt, I thought that he was gonna be the person I was gonna spend the rest of my life with,” Liukin said at the time. “But I’ve been so lucky to have some amazing people in my life that I can lean on for support and love.”
“I felt like a failure not having this relationship work,” Liukin explained. “That’s because as an athlete if things don’t go your way, if you don’t come out on top, you feel like you’ve somewhat failed. This has always been a big learning lesson for me.”
She added that she regretted “nothing” about the romance, “The memories that we shared together and the things we got to do together I’ll forever cherish.”