You may think gymnastics(体操) is only for players in their teens and twenties. But Oksana Chusovitina has broken the unwritten rule of the sport. The 48-year-old woman made her return to the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. This is her fifth time to take part in the Asian Games. Also she is the only w oman who has competed in eight Olympics. Chusovitina was born in Uzbekistan in 1975. At the age of 17, she attended her first Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She won a gold medal in the team event.
In 1999, she gave birth to her first son, Alisher. She thought the Sydney 2000 Games were meant to be the last one for her. But it was not to be. In 2002, the family moved to Germany. In 2003, she returned to international competitions to raise money for her son. Luckily, both her comeback and her son's treatment were successful.
After finishing a disappointing fifth at the London 2012 Games, Chusovitina told everybody that she decided to stop her career. But gymnastics was in her blood (血) ."At night, I told everyone I had decided to stop my career. The next morning, I woke up and changed my mind, " she said. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, Chusovitina failed to reach the final event. Though she said once again that she would stop her career, she decided to return very 800n.
This year, her return to the Hangzhou Asian Games added another touch of color to her career. Although she missed a medal, she said she would continue to train and compete for the Olympics in Paris.
"I love gymnastics, and it brings me great joy. I'm just doing what I love. " Chusovitina said, "I can leave at any time. But I must do what I can today, so I won't regret it tomorrow. "
