"Real Tale"

At the Olympics in Tokyo, the 46-year-old gymnast Oksana Chusovitina ended her career-for her it is the eighth games. The athlete was escorted with tears

The Uzbekistan gymnast Oksana Chusovitina announced the end of her career after her performance at the Tokyo Olympics on July 25. Chusovitina - 46 years. After participating in the games in Tokyo, she became the only gymnast in the world that took part in eight summer Olympic Games (in 2016 - after participating in the seven Olympiads - she fell into the Guinness Book of Records).

In 1992, she won the gold medal at the Olympics in Barcelona, ​​where she played for the national team of the former USSR , and also took silver in Beijing in 2008 (as part of the German national team ). She has three victories and eight medals of the world championships, gold and three silver European championships.

“Now everything is. I will not return to this. I am already 46 years old! I have so many things, it's time to catch up, ”Chusovitina told reporters.

At qualification competitions in the supporting jump of Chusovitin took 11th place and did not get to the final. Among the rivals she lost, there were 16-year-old athletes-when they were born, Chusovitina had already managed to take part in three Olympiads. “Yes, this is not a fabulous result, but this is a real fairy tale for her - eight Olympic Games! Everyone applauds, ”said the commentators of the competition.

Chusovitina waved into the camera and showed her heart with a gesture. “Thank you very much for being sick. And forgive everything! Bai-Bay! ” The athletes and coaches of other teams who were nearby applauded her, like the few spectators who managed to get to the competition. Hugging her colleagues, she left the site with tears. And it was really very touching.

Chusovitina was supposed to carry the banner of the national team of Uzbekistan at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Tokyo, but the leadership of the country's National Olympic Committee replaced it with another athlete.