Olympic Great Chusovitina, 50, Wins World Challenge Cup Silver

Uzbekistan's Oksana Chusovitina marked her 50th day pinch a metallic badge astatine nan Gymnastics World Challenge Cup - 33 years aft she became an Olympic champion.

Chusovitina was portion of a Unified Team of athletes from post-Soviet nations that won nan squad all-around golden astatine nan 1992 Barcelona Games, and has competed astatine 8 Olympics successful total.

Three decades later nan Uzbek, who is besides a three-time world champion, is still winning medals successful a athletics successful which astir discontinue successful their twenties.

Competing successful her autochthonal state astatine nan International Gymnastics Federation's World Challenge Cup successful Tashkent 1 time aft her birthday, Chusovitina took metallic down Bulgaria's Valentina Georgieva - who, astatine 18, is 32 years her junior.

Until Paris 2024, Chusovitina had competed astatine each summertime Olympic Games since 1992.

She was looking to adjacent nan grounds - group by Georgian shooter Nino Salukvadze, who is nan only Olympian to person competed successful 9 consecutive Games - for astir Olympic appearances successful a statement past twelvemonth successful Paris.

However, injury ruled her retired of nan Asian Championships, meaning she was incapable to qualify.

Chusovitina was inducted into nan International Gymnastics Hall of Fame successful 2017, and 8 years later she remains nan only personnel to still beryllium competing aft their induction.

She had made it clear successful February that she was targeting her location World Cup.

"In June, connected my 50th birthday, we will person a title present successful Tashkent. It will beryllium a World Challenge Cup, and I really want to compete location truthful I'm keeping my fingers crossed," she said.

Earlier this period she withdrew from nan Asian Championships during nan last of nan vault successful bid to guarantee she could compete successful Tashkent.

After her squad golden successful Barcelona, she represented Uzbekistan astatine nan adjacent 3 Games but, aft moving to Germany erstwhile her boy was diagnosed pinch leukaemia, she gained citizenship and switched allegiances.

Her 2nd Olympic badge was a metallic successful nan vault while representing Germany astatine nan 2008 Beijing Games.

She represented Germany astatine nan 2012 Games successful London past switched backmost to Uzbekistan for nan 2016 Rio Olympics - and qualified for nan delayed Games successful Tokyo successful 2021.

Chusovitina did concisely discontinue aft nan Tokyo Games, but returned to nan athletics conscionable 67 days later.

Speaking astir nan determination successful 2023, she said: "I conscionable realised, I felt that I tin do this. Why should I time off nan athletics if it brings maine joy?".

Previously this play she had won golden astatine nan Baku World Cup and bronze astatine nan Cottbus World Cup.

By nan clip athletes caput retired to nan United States for nan 2028 Games successful Los Angeles, Chusovitina will beryllium 53 years of age, but she has not ruled retired a ninth travel to nan Olympics.

"My number 1 extremity is to get to Los Angeles," she said earlier this week's competition.

"But location is truthful overmuch clip earlier then, truthful I'm not reasoning that acold ahead. I spell measurement by step, from 1 title to nan next. If it happens, it happens. If not, past no. But I will try, and I will springiness it everything I've got."