One is fresh off a come-from-behind, bronze-medal-winning performance in the men's all-around competition at the 2012 London Summer Games and is already eyeing gold four years from now in Rio de Janeiro. The other is a former Olympic champion who has just recently retired and, instead of training for future competitions, is gearing up for a January move to New York City to attend NYU - her plan is to complete the transition from Olympian to, perhaps, a career in television.
The first, Danell Leyva, admitted that he is "still trying to let (his time in London) sink in," while the second, Nastia Liukin, was at the most recent Olympics in a rather unfamiliar role, that of spectator.
"It was interesting to be on the other side of things, more so as a fan," she said. "I was occupied though, working with NBC and as an athlete representative for the Federation of International Gymnasts, so it was a lot of fun."
Article Photos
Danell Leyva, above, and Nastia Liukin will be performing in the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular at the Jamestown Saving Bank Arena in December.
AP photos
While these two world-class athletes may currently find themselves on very different paths, there remains one special event that can bring them, and a host of other top athletes, together.
A veritable who's who of the gymnastics and figure skating world, that oh-so-rare event is none other than the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular.
And best of all, this event, which would, given the athletes and musicians attending, normally be held at a place like New York City or Los Angeles, will take place right here in our very own backyard at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena on Dec. 15.
It promises it to be a show like no other.
"There's just no other show like it," said Liukin, the 2008 Olympic all-around gold medalist. "Most of the time you can either go out and see a figure skating show or a gymnastics show, but never both at the same time. (Combing) the artistry and grace of each is really exciting for fans."
Along with Liukin and Leyva, the Spectacular will feature quite a few familiar faces - some of which you've probably seen on Letterman as of late.
Among them are Gabby Douglas, who in London became the first American Gymnast to win both an individual and team gold medal; fellow "Fab Five" members Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber; John Orozco, the 2012 U.S. all-around national champion and a member of the 2012 men's Olympic team; Jonathan Horton, a two-time Olympian and a 2008 silver medalist; and Jake Dalton, a two-time U.S. floor exercise and vault champion.
And those are just the gymnasts taking part.
On the ice will be, among others, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, the 2011 World Championship ice dancing gold medalists; Alissa Czisny, a two-time U.S. Figure Skating Championships gold medalist; and Jeremy Abbott, a three-time U.S. Figure Skating Championships gold medalist.
Combined with the musical talents of Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band and Ross Lynch & the R5 Band from the Disney Channel's "Austin & Ally," it will be an event with something for everyone.
"There's always something going on," Liukin said. "(During the show) there will be times when you have a figure skater performing at the same time there is a gymnast on the balance beam."
It's that uniqueness that keeps Liukin, who will be performing in the Spectacular for the seventh time and Leyva, who is participating for the second year in a row, coming back.
"I did it last year for the first time and it was so much fun. I love doing it, love performing and it's great to be able to show off with no pressure," Leyva said before adding with a laugh, "Actually, there is some pressure because there are people watching you and you want to do something cool for them. But it's still a lot of fun."
As an added bonus, the Spectacular, which will air nationally on Jan. 19 on NBC, will introduce more to both sports and get people talking about them; no small accomplishment given the fact that these sports are usually discussed only in four-year intervals.
"This is a huge way to publicize gymnastics even more," Leyva said. "My big goal is to make gymnastics more important and more famous every year, not just every four years."
In Jamestown, at least, they've managed to do just that.