Oksana Chusovitina, after participating in the Olympic Games for over three decades, will not be competing in Paris 2024, marking a significant change for the upcoming event.
“I am extremely disappointed that I won’t be able to participate in the Asian Championships,” Chusovitina expressed her frustration in an Instagram post. “I have been diligently preparing for this competition for a considerable amount of time. My intention was to compete in all-around events and showcase my skills in front of our home crowd. Regrettably, I won’t be among the participants tomorrow.”
At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Chusovitina achieved a remarkable feat by winning a team gold medal as part of the Unified Team. Later, in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she continued to make history by securing a bronze medal on the vault while representing Germany. Fast forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Chusovitina once again made headlines by becoming the oldest female gymnast to compete at an Olympic Games, at the age of 46.
Chusovitina relocated to Germany in 2002 when her son underwent treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia. From 2006 to 2012, she competed for the German federation before ultimately deciding to switch her nationality back to Uzbekistan, her country of origin.
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Emma Malabuyo, who was an alternate for the U.S. women’s team in Tokyo, had the chance to compete against Chusovitina for the final qualification spot for Paris. However, Malabuyo now represents the Philippines, and the Asian Championships serves as her last opportunity to qualify for the Olympics.
Chusovitina had originally intended to retire after the Tokyo Olympics, but she decided to continue training. It remains uncertain whether the upcoming Paris Olympic cycle will mark her final appearance.