I'm Trying Not To Cry (And Failing) At Eight-Time Olympian Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina's Last Vault Routine
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Everyone give it up for gymnast Oksana Chusovitina!
The eight-time Olympian and two-time medalist representing Uzbekistan received a proper and more than well-deserved send-off as she competed at her last Olympics in Tokyo.
She has also previously represented the Soviet Union and Germany, competing in every Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games. That year, she won a team gold with the Soviets, and in Beijing's 2008 Games, she won a silver medal in the vault competition for Germany.
The 46-year-old finished her historic Olympic career with a vault performance, which failed to qualify her for the finals. Her emotional parting elicited many tears and cheers — from spectators, fellow competitors, and even judges.
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
I'm fully sobbing right now?!
Uzbekistan's Oksana Chusovitina has officially competed at her EIGHTH Olympic Games.At 46 years old, she competed for one last time and received a standing ovation from her competitors. #TokyoOlympics
"I think I am one of the pioneers to let every woman know that you can be a wife, you can be a daughter, you can be a mother, and you can be an Olympic athlete and an Olympic medalist. Anything is possible, and age is just a number," she told Inside Gymnastics Magazine back in May.
And she's right.
Here's a closer look at her legendary career, which includes 11 world medals and a place in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame beginning in 2017:
Just look at this video that traces her Olympic run from 1992 to the present day.
@danawang Did you watch her last completion today? #tokyoolympics #olympicspirit #olympicgames #tokyo2021 #olympics2021 #OksanaChusovitina
♬ original sound - DJ Precise
She competed in her first Olympics five years before Simone Biles was born.
Oksana Chusovitina 1992 Olympics floor. This is Oksana Chusovitina 8th Olympics!! No words to describe how impressive that is. Forever an icon. Wishing Oksana the best of luck! I’m so excited to watch.
Here she is, flying her way through her balance beam routine in Barcelona, when she was just 17 years old.
Here she is in 2004, getting ready to do her vault routine in Athens.
Here she is just casually upside-down at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Here she is in the same Olympic Games, sticking the landing after competing on the uneven bars, like the queen she is.
Here she is with her silver medal — an absolute icon, if I do say so myself (along with thousands of other people more knowledgeable in gymnastics than myself).
Here, she once again defies gravity on the vault during the 2012 London Olympics.
Here she is just absolutely killing it with her landing at the 2016 Rio Games. That's history right there, and she knows it.
Here she is giving a hug to Simone at the same Olympics, which is very personal to me.
Trying to hold back tears and failing.
