46-Year-Old Gymnastics Legend Ends Her Career at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

At 46 years of age, Oksana Chusovitina is the oldest gymnast at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. However, it’s not only her age that defines her legacy at the Games. Making her eighth Olympic appearance in Tokyo, the Uzbek gymnast put on an inspiring performance in the vault qualification round yesterday.

While Chusovitina didn’t qualify for the final, this marked her last appearance at the Olympics.

Oksana Chusovitina makes a mark in her final Olympic appearance at Tokyo Olympics 2020

The 46-year-old made her first Olympic appearance at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Despite her young age of 17, Chusovitina won her first and only Olympic gold medal in the team event with the Unified Team.

Across her eight Olympic appearances, she represented the Unified Team, Germany and Uzbekistan. In fact, she represented Germany in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she won a silver medal in the vault discipline. In a career spanning 31 years, the Uzbek gymnast won several medals at the Asian Games and the World Championships.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Gymnastics – Artistic – Women’s Vault – Qualification – Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo, Japan – July 25, 2021. Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan in action on the vault. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

With her speciality being the vault, Chusovitina competed in a field comprising reigning Olympic champion Simone Biles. Despite performing the Rudi vault and Tsukahara vault, the Uzbek gymnast finished 14th in her subdivision. She achieved a score of 14.166, missing out on qualifying for the final by just 0.45 points.

Standing ovation and not a dry eye in the house for the #ArtisticGymnastics legend Oksana Chusovitina as she takes her final @Olympics bow. The 46-year-old today became an 8⃣-time Olympian, competing on Vault for the last time at @Tokyo2020 #Tokyo2020 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/fjm3QNiK21

— FIG (@gymnastics) July 25, 2021

Despite missing out on the final, Chusovitina received a standing ovation from everyone present at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. In addition, some of her competitors also took a picture with the veteran gymnast after the event.

46 years old and in Eighth and final Olympic games.

Oksana Chusovitina bows out a legend and surrounded by a new generation of legends.#Tokyo2020 #Olympics #ArtisticGymnastics pic.twitter.com/sw35fkiQC9

— #OlympicsEternal (@OlympicsEternal) July 25, 2021

READ MORE: VIDEO: Oldest Female Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina Has an Emotional Moment at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Simone Biles makes multiple event finals on Day 2

While Chusovitina ranked 14th, Team USA’s golden gymnast Simone Biles topped the subdivision in Tokyo. With a score of 15.183, the 24-year-old progressed to the final along with fellow American Jade Carey who scored 15.166.

Since the rules dictate only two participants can progress to the final, Mykayla Skinner missed out despite finishing fourth.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Gymnastics – Artistic – Women’s Vault – Qualification – Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo, Japan – July 25, 2021. Simone Biles of the United States in action on the vault. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Biles also qualified for the uneven bars, floor exercise and balance beam finals. Although she didn’t top any of these three subdivisions, she remains a favorite to clinch gold in all three events in the coming days. She also qualified for the all-around discipline by topping the subdivision.

WATCH STORY: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Day Two Medal Tally Update – China and Japan Lead

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