On July 26, veteran Chusovkina from Uzbekistan announced her retirement on her personal social media.
My dear friends and fans! It's a tough one, and I thought it would be easier. I ended my long and interesting sporting career. I've reached peaks and experienced lows in the process. I have shed tears of happiness and of course experienced pain, but I have never regretted it! My sports career has been wonderful! More importantly, your love and support is the most valuable asset in my life! Thank you for all you do!
—July 26, 2021 Chusovkina
On July 25, Chusovkina made her last leap at the Olympics and ended the legend she had written in the past 30 years.
It was the 46-year-old's eighth olympic appearance. Although the qualifying round was stopped, this did not affect her as a legend.
There was no audience at the Ariake Gymnasium in Tokyo, but thunderous applause erupted. Referees, volunteers, media workers, etc. stood up and applauded to pay tribute to this great athlete who has spent his life interpreting the Olympic spirit. The applause lingered under the dome of the gymnastics gym, and it did not stop for a long time.
In front of the screen, many netizens stayed up late to watch Chusovkina's game.
(Stay up late to watch the game.) She deserves a full Olympic show to see her off. A living legend. ）
Athletes who are old enough to be the daughters of "Qiu Ma" compete to take photos with "Qiu Ma".
A Spanish gymnast posted a photo with Chusovykina, who said the photo meant a lot to her.
(This picture means a lot to me because it represents perseverance and courage, and most importantly, she breaks stereotypes.) Admire Chusovykina. ）
"You are not cured, I dare not grow old"
Stubborn mother
"You are not cured, I dare not grow old." The story of the desperate competition to earn money to treat her seriously ill son has made the world know the "gymnastics mother" Chusovkina.
In 2002, Chusovkina's 3-year-old son, Alyosha, was diagnosed with leukemia. However, medical conditions in Uzbekistan were scarce, and Chusovkina later had to send her son to a technologically advanced hospital in Cologne, Germany, where the cost of treatment was prohibitive.
In order to save her son, she has retired from the army and sold her property and competed wildly, hoping to provide for her son's treatment through the competition prize money.
In 2002, Chusovykina returned to the Busan Asian Games at the age of 27 and won gold medals in vaulting and free gymnastics. After that, the German sports department threw an olive branch to her, and in order to make up for as much as possible for the treatment, Chusovkina came to Cologne with her family and joined the German team. The golden age for gymnasts is around 16-25 years old. As you age, your body becomes stiff and your state declines severely. The belief in treating her son and the love of gymnastics underpins Chusovkina's hard training day after day, constantly challenging her limits. In 2008, Chusovkina represented Germany at the Beijing Olympic Games, becoming the first person in history to participate in five consecutive Olympic Games.
She finished 9th in the women's individual all-around, setting a new German team's best; she finished second in the vaulting final and won Germany the first silver medal in Olympic gymnastics in history. In 2011, Chusovkina finished second in the women's vault at the World Gymnastics Championships in Japan. In 2012, Chusovykina represented Germany at the London Olympics, finishing 3rd in vaulting qualifying and 5th in the final. Chusovkina became an "ageless legend" and "heroic mother" in gymnastics.
Used to fight for his son
Later fought for himself
Fortunately, when Alyosha was 16 years old, the cancer cells were basically cleared and the family finally got back on track.
(Alyosha is now 21 years old and studying in Germany) But Chusovkina still chooses to fight on the field, and this time what sustains her to continue to move forward is her love of gymnastics. "There are no secrets. I just love gymnastics and no one ever forced me to compete. I've been listening to my heart for so many years, sticking to sports, I love sports, I know what it is, and I want to be a happy person. "I practice gymnastics because I love the sport. To accomplish something, you have to be 100% committed and even integrated into your soul. I used to fight for my son, now I fight for myself. “
People see in her the true spirit of sportsmanship, that is, the most sincere love for sports and the spirit of tenacity, optimism and never give up.
In 2012, Chusovykina made an important decision to return to Uzbekistan.
Chusovkina said: "Every time I come back to Tashkent, I can find a strong sense of belonging, this place belongs to me. I participated in seven Olympic Games. I won a gold medal for the USSR and a silver medal for Germany. But I never won a medal for Uzbekistan, that was my dream. ”
A gymnast back in her homeland again, Chusovkina is 37 years old.
In 2013, at the 26th Trnava Gymnastics Competition in Slovakia, Chusovykina defeated Russian veteran Pavlova to win the all-around championship.
In 2018 she won the silver medal in the vaulting competition at the Asian Games in Jakarta.
Later, at the World Championships, she completed 4 more events, saved enough points, qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games, and appeared in the Olympic Arena for the eighth time.
As the years passed, 46-year-old Chusovkina seemed to have completely forgotten the existence of time.
Ten fingers are painted with blue, white and green nail polish representing the flag of Uzbekistan, and shiny studs are worn on the ears, and Kisovikina, who loves life and pursues beauty, is still a flower blooming in the gymnastics world.
In her long career, Chusovkina has retired more than once and made a comeback more than once. Once she woke up, she immediately changed her mind about retiring the night before.
But this time, it seems that Chusovkina is completely ready to say goodbye to the identity of an athlete and start the next journey.
"So that's it?" Is there anything else that can change your mind about retiring? In the face of the reporter's question, Chusovkina laughed and then replied: "There really is none." ”
Once again, hats off to Chusovkina.
(Don't tell anyone, he's too old.) ）
(Congratulations!) I'm so happy for her! ）
This article is synthesized from: Vista Look at the World, Xinhua News Agency, China News Network, Twitter, etc
Source: Shanghai News Broadcasting