Gymnastics Legend Oksana Chusovitina, 48, to Miss First Olympics in 30 Years

The Uzbek gymnast has been competing at the Summer Games since her first appearance in 1992

If you’re a gymnastics fan, you’re likely very familiar with Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, who at 48, has been competing at the Olympics since her first appearance in 1992. Unfortunately for fans who were waiting to see her in Paris at the 2024 Summer Games, that journey has come to an end after she recently announced she will not be competing.

In a video message posted to Instagram, Chusovitina revealed that an injury she will prevent her from competing in the Asian Championships that are held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which is taking place from May 24 to May 26. The competition is also a qualifier for the Paris Summer Olympics, which starts on July 26.

Chusovitina said that she was disappointed over breaking 30 years of tradition by not competing at the Olympics — and not being able to perform for her fans. “I will not be able to take part and I am very upset, as I have been preparing for this competition for a long time. I started doing all-around and I wanted to perform in our country, in front of our fans. But, unfortunately, tomorrow you will not see me among the participants,” she said, while a caption noted that she "was injured during training."

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Chusovitina made her Olympic debut when she was just 17. During that time, she has won two Olympic medals: a team gold representing in Barcelona in 1992, and a vault silver in Beijing in 2008.

During her most recent appearance at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021, Chusovitina told reporters that it would be her last time competing at that level.

"I feel very good to be here. But this will for sure be my last Olympics," she said in Tokyo. "I'm 46 years old. Nothing is going to change it." She added with a laugh, "I'm alive, I'm happy, I'm here without any injuries, and I can stand on my own."

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Following her final vault at the Tokyo Games, Chusovitina received a standing ovation from those in the stadium, bringing tears to her eyes as she waved to the small crowd and held up a heart with her hands.

"It was really nice," she told reporters afterwards. "I cried tears of happiness because so many people have supported me for a long time." She added, "I didn't look at the results, but I feel very proud and happy. I'm saying goodbye to sports. It's kind of mixed feelings."

Since then, however, she changed her mind about competing and was gearing up for the Paris Games. “If next year I can’t qualify,” Chusovitina told the Associated Press in September 2023. ”Maybe I will give up my career. Or maybe not. But I do not want to give you a conclusion now.”

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