Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan competes during the Women's Vault final of Artistic Gymnastics at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang province, on Sept. 28, 2023. [Photo/Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee]

Oksana Chusovitina, the legendary 48-year-old gymnast from Uzbekistan, concluded her sixth Asian Games journey with a fourth-place finish in the women's vault final at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Despite her noteworthy performance, she narrowly missed out on securing a medal.

As Chusovitina approached the vault apparatus as the final competitor, the crowd erupted in applause, demonstrating immense respect for the enduring athlete. Her first vault, featuring a difficulty score of 4.4, earned her 8.533 points, totaling 12.933. Her second vault, of the same difficulty, garnered 8.833 points, amounting to a total score of 13.233. Chusovitina appealed the difficulty score of her first vault. The judges eventually adjusted her first vault's difficulty score to 5.000, elevating her average score to 13.383, but she still missed the podium by a margin of 0.15 points.

In the final, Chusovitina competed against seven other gymnasts, whose average age was only 20.7 years. The athletes from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, An Chang Ok, and Kim Son Hyang, secured the gold and silver medals with scores of 14.049 and 13.600, respectively, while Chinese athlete Yu Linmin clinched the bronze with a score of 13.533.

Chusovitina, who embarked on her gymnastics journey at the age of seven and has competed in eight Olympic Games, conveyed her sentiments on persisting in her career at 48, stating, "I feel wonderful. I still have more strength."

When inquired about competing against the veteran gymnast Chusovitina, Yu Linmin remarked, "She is truly remarkable. I admire her deeply. Her perseverance and passion for gymnastics are inspirational."

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