US gymnast Nia Dennis's routine celebrating "Black excellence" has gone viral, with millions of views on social media after the floor routine by the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) athlete incorporated songs by artists including Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Missy Elliott. She said Black Lives Matter protests inspired the performance, which saw her kneel with her fist in the air.

"I had to... for the culture," the 21-year-old wrote on Instagram. The routine wowed the judges and earned her praise from celebrities, fellow athletes and fans. A video shared by UCLA Gymnastics was viewed more than nine million times. She said that she wanted the routine to "be a celebration of everything (lack people can do, everything we can overcome".

Of the performance she said: "The subject of Black Lives Matter is so heavy. It is difficult for people to talk about - and sometimes you have to meet people where they're at, with a celebration.

"Every single song is a major Black artist, musician, from different time periods. They had a huge impact on Black culture, which has also had a huge impact on me. So I'm just literally celebrating what they've done and having the time of my life."

Sporting stars across the world are still taking the knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer knelt on his neck.

In 1965, civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr. took a knee during a march in Selma, in Alabama. NFL star Colin Kaepernick started kneeling symbolically during the pre-game national anthem in 2016, in protest at oppression of African-Americans in the US.

Multi-award winning Miss Dennis said she was not able to attend the Black Lives Matter protests last summer because she was recovering from shoulder surgery but was "definitely out there in spirit". The judges awarded her a score of 9.95 out of 10 for the performance on Saturday, helping her team to victory against Arizona State.

US rapper Missy Elliott was among those to show her approval, sharing the video on social media and tweeting: "Snappin". Former US First Lady Michelle Obama wrote: "Now that's what I call fierce! You're a star."

It is the second time Nia Dennis has gone viral for her gymnastics. Last year, she made headlines for a routine set to a medley of Beyoncé songs.