After Stepping Out of Retirement, 48YO Gymnastics Legend Makes a Run for Paris Olympics 2024

Oksana Chusovitina is a name every young gymnast looks up to. The gymnastics icon started her career as a 13-year-old and has never gotten tired of the sport in her 35-year career. Oksana stepped foot on the esteemed stage of the Olympics back in 1992. Since then, she has arrived on the platform for 8 consecutive events putting on stellar performances with each step.

However glorious the gymnast’s career, Oksana stepped up to accept retirement after her performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But to the fans’ fortune, the gymnast seems to have reverted her decision. “I had been preparing for things to end here, but it’s impossible to be fully ready for ending your career,”?she had said in Tokyo. And today, she will be standing by her latter stance, preparing for more to come.

Oksana: Captivating audience since 1992

Oksana was 17 years old when she first participated in the Olympics. That year, she won a gold being a part of the Unified Team. Today, she is the only gymnast ever to?compete in eight Olympic Games. With her recent reveal, the gymnast will continue her streak as she is all set to make her presence felt at Paris 2024. “Oksana Chusov?tina has been rocking the world’s biggest stage for 31 years,” the Olympic Games paid tribute to the icon on their Twitter account.

Throughout her career, Oksana has incurred two Olympic medals and 11 World Championships. To date, she remains the individual with the most world championship medals in a single event; nine of the vault. After her presence at the Tokyo Olympics, Oksana revealed that her retirement would be put on hold as she planned on contending at the 2022 Asian Games; thus, leading her to continue history.

The gymnastics icon eyes Paris 2024

While Oksana was preparing for her participation in the 2022 Asian Games, the COVID restrictions pushed the dates to 2023. The delay obliged the gymnast to consider her participation in Paris 2024. To keep up with her decision, Oksana had to forgo the 2022 World Gymnastics Championship and work on her preparation for the nearing Olympics.

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The 48-year-old had a moment of embarrassment as she started realizing the age gap between her colleagues. However, that wouldn’t last long. “Can you imagine how cool it is? I?m not even embarrassed. I?m 48 years old, I?m going out on the mat with 16-year-old kids who should have so much energy and strength, and I’m winning against them,” she said to Olympics.com. Earlier this year, Oksana proved her ability as she began the season with the right kick. She won bronze on vault at the first two World Cup stops of the season in Cottbus and Doha. The medals are a reward and testament for the gymnast going strong 3 decades into her career.

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