Veteran Oksana Chusovitina called time on her legendary career on Sunday night after competing at a record eighth Olympic Games.
After failing to secure a spot in Sunday’s vault (跳马) final, the 46-year-old, representing Uzbekistan, waved to the small crowd inside Tokyo’s Ariake Gymnastics Center, made a heart shape with her hands and briefly cried, as she left the sport’s biggest stage for the last time.
Born in Uzbek capital Tashkent in 1976, Chusovitina took up gymnastics at age 7. “My mother wanted me to give up gymnastics, she was worried about me all the time. I wanted to prove to her that I was not doing it in vain, and I think I eventually succeeded in that.” Chusovitina said of her childhood.
She made her Olympic debut(首次上场)at the 1992 Barcelona Games as part of the gold medal-winning unified team from former Soviet States. Then she represented Uzbekistan, before being granted German citizenship in 2006. She took home a vault silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games for Germany, but switched back to competing for Uzbekistan in 2013.
When Chusovitina’s 3-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia (白血病) in 2002, she sold her possessions and used any prize money she earned to pay for his medical treatment. Her switch to German citizenship was motivated by the promise of a higher income and better medical care.
After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued to compete, but this time it was her love for gymnastics that kept her going.
In a sport renowned for its youthful champions, Chusovitina has become a global fan favorite thanks to her longevity. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2017, and last year was named the Best Athlete of the Decade (2011-2020) in a public vote held by the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan.
【小题1】What can we know about Chusovitina?| A．She won a vault silver medal for Uzbekistan in 2008. |
| B．She thought of giving up gymnastics in her childhood. |
| C．She has competed in Olympic Games eight times in total. |
| D．She failed to enter the final in Tokyo Olympics because of her age. |
| A．To fulfill the dream of living abroad. | B．To make her son get a better treatment. |
| C．To gain a higher income for a richer life. | D．To seek a promising future for her career. |
| A．Reliable and modest | B．Generous and ambitious |
| C．Energetic and devoted | D．Responsible and determined |
