The year was 1992. Just months after the breakup of the USSR, a young Uzbek, just 17 years old, was part of the Unified team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. At the event, the gymnast went on to twist and turn her way to a gold medal. Since then, it has been 33 years and the gymnast just competed in yet another international event in Azerbaijan this 7th. Yes, you heard that right. Breaking all notions of age, the great Oksana Chusovitina is still competing and if her recent show was any sign, then it seems LA28 will be her next destination.

At 49, Chusovitina continues to challenge traditional beliefs, beliefs that say gymnastics is a young person’s sport. After all, even Simone Biles, at just 27, has been called old.  Yet over the years, Oksana has made her mark on the biggest stage with her mesmerizing skills. With 8 Olympics already under her belt, she is looking for her 9th. And she just  showed that it was not just wishful thinking .

Competing at the Baku World Cup, Chusovitina did something that brought back memories of the past. She pulled off a perfectly executed 1.5-twisting Tsukahara while performing a vault. This was quite a tough routine to execute and it has been one of her most reliable vaults over the years. But more than personal accolades and glory, there is one more reason Oksana competed for all these years. To save her son’s life. 

Back in 2002, the thought of retirement did cross Chusovitina’s mind. It was around this time that she received the shock of her life. Her then-three-year-old son, Alisher, was diagnosed with leukemia. Unable to find suitable medical treatment, she relocated to Germany. Thus Oksana did not retire and continued to do gymnastics as she said, “If I don’t compete, then my son won’t live; it’s as simple as that.”

But since then, Chusovitina’s goal has been fulfilled successfully. Not only did her son make a full recovery, but Chusovitina also went on to win her first Olympic individual medal in Beijing! Thus, while she has been defying age for years now, Oksana Chusovitina has taken yet another bold decision. She now has her eyes set on LA28! 

Is Oksana Chusovitina setting sights on competing at the LA Olympics at 53?

Age is just a number for Oksana Chusovitina. At 49, the gymnastics icon is already laying the groundwork for a historic appearance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—where she would be 53 years old. Yes, you read that right. But can she do so? After all, an unfortunate injury put both her Paris 2024 and Asian gymnastics hopes to mud. Well, the only thing that the veteran can do is simply give her best.

Chusovitina is wasting no time in preparing for this ambitious goal. She registered to compete on the vault and balance beam at the Cottbus World Cup in February 2025, signaling her return to international competition. But her sights are set firmly on LA 2028. “I want to prove to myself; I’m fighting with myself, and I still want to see whether I can do this or not,” Chusovitina shared.

Her drive to compete at 53 challenges the perception that gymnastics is only for young athletes. Her motivation extends beyond personal ambition. To her, it’s about shifting the narrative around age in gymnastics. “I want to show that if a female gymnast wants to train, if she likes it, why should she retire if she is 30 years old? This is not right,” she said. Chusovitina’s stance pushes back against the deeply ingrained idea that gymnasts’ careers are over by their mid-20s.

And it seems the message so far is clear. She is out there to prove she is still right there, among the best as she was in 1992. The only difference for her is perhaps a few more gray hairs as she continues to dazzle everyone. But if she wants to stay true to her word, she has to make it to LA28. And she has to make it to Olympics number 9. Can she do it? Only time will tell. For now, let’s cheer her. After all, we all love to see miracles, don’t we?