Tokyo Olympics: Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina gets standing ovation at her last Olympic Games

Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina proved that age is just a number after she competed at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 46. Chusovitina on Sunday competed in her eighth and final Olympics and left the field with a farewell standing ovation after she couldn't qualify for the next round. With her performance at the Tokyo Olympics, Oksana Chusovitina has now become the oldest Olympic gymnast.

Eight-time Olympian Oksana Chusovitina at Tokyo

The eight-time Olympian Oksana Chusovitina received a warm reception from her competitors as well as the judges at the Tokyo Olympics event on Sunday. Competing on vault in the fourth subdivision of the women's artistic gymnastics qualifications, the 46-year-old walked off with a standing ovation. The gymnast has now successfully competed in every Olympics since 1992. More interestingly, Chusovitina has also represented the Soviet Union, Germany and Uzbekistan at the Olympics.

Chusovitina in Tokyo represented Uzbekistan and was selected to be the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony. The veteran gymnast however was unable to walk with the flag at the event due to time constraints of the event. Chusovitina, during qualifications, competed for two vaults and averaged a score of 14.166. She fell short and failed to advance to the next round. However, the Olympian made history at the event and received an emotional farewell.

Oksana Chusovitina gymnast history

The Uzbekistan gymnastics champion was born in 1975. The veteran gymnast who is affectionately called Chuso by the gymnastics community is a legend of the sport with some of her fans competing against her in the event. Chusovitina won her first Olympic gold medal in 1992 and went on to add a silver medal on vault in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The gymnast is known for mastering the full-twisting double layout, which remains one of the most difficult tumbles performed, towards the start of her career.

Chusovitina’s career spanned from teams including the Soviet Union, the United Team in 1992 after the Soviet Union’s dissolution, her native Uzbekistan, Germany and then Uzbekistan again. Chuso had chosen to represent Germany in 2002 after her son Alisher was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia and was seeking treatment in the country. Chusovitina, during her career, became a vault specialist. The veteran performed on Sunday in Tokyo making history once again between her two vaults.

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