Ageless Oksana Chusovitina wows audiences at Hangzhou Asian Games
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Oksana Chusovitina competing during the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in June.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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HANGZHOU – Every time Oksana Chusovitina competes in a gymnastics event, she captures the spotlight, and there was no exception at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
When the Uzbek gymnast, 48, took part in the women’s gymnastics qualification at Huanglong Gymnasium on Monday, thousands of spectators chanted “Qiu Ma”, which translates to “Mother Chusovitina”.
A throng of journalists waited in the mixed zone, hoping for an interview opportunity.
“I’m touched by Chusovitina’s story. She tried to save her son and just never gave up. I am lucky to see her here in my home city. She is beautiful both as an athlete and as a mother,” said Zhang Anqi, a Hangzhou local who attended the event.
Chusovitina’s Olympic journey began in 1992, representing the unified team of the former Soviet Union. She later stood for Uzbekistan, transitioned to German citizenship in 2006, and reclaimed her Uzbek citizenship in 2013.
The story behind her switch of allegiance to Germany was a heart-warming one.
When her son was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2002, she adopted German citizenship to compete at global events for a higher income and better medical treatment.
Her heartfelt sentiment then, that “I dare not grow old until you are well”, has resonated with many.
After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued her gymnastics journey out of sheer love for the sport. Despite announcing her retirement after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she returned shortly after.
“The biggest motivation is my desire. I want to perform. I love gymnastics, and this profession brings me great joy. I’m just doing what I love, so why should I stop?” she said.
After completing her vault on Monday, Chusovitina blew a kiss to the audience and formed a “heart” gesture with her hands in appreciation of the cheers she received.
“It is the love and support of the people that keep me going and give me the strength to achieve more. But I am not very satisfied with my performance tonight. Actually, I was a little overexcited,” she said.
Chusovitina, who has won eight medals at the Asiad, including two golds in 2002, is targeting a vault medal in Hangzhou. “I will increase the difficulty in the final,” she added. XINHUA
