When former teammate Svetlana Boguinskaia describes Oksana Chusovitina as “truly one of a kind” and “a woman who inspires,” the words carry the weight of experience. While Boguinskaia retired nearly thirty years ago, Chusovitina, now fifty, continues to compete, coach, and redefine what it means to endure in gymnastics. Her presence inspires not only peers who once trained alongside her but also the next generation of athletes who see her both as a competitor and as the principal of Uzbekistan’s national gymnastics academy.

The academy, built in Tashkent and named after her, has become the newest stage of her career. She once insisted she would never stand on the sidelines as a coach, preferring the struggle with her own limits to instructing others. Yet today, she directs 159 children, manages teachers, and oversees the daily functioning of the school. “The emptiness makes me sad,” she said during a summer break, looking around at the silent gym. It is a telling remark from someone who spent her life surrounded by the sounds of training halls and competitions, and who once believed her role ended when she left the floor.

Her reluctance to coach was rooted in her identity as an athlete. From her first competitions in the 1980s under the Soviet system, she thought of herself as a performer rather than an instructor. Even as she aged beyond what most considered possible in gymnastics, she defined her career through competition: A world title in 1991, an Olympic gold in 1992, and later a silver medal on vault at the 2008 Beijing Games while representing Germany. Her journey was extended by necessity when her son Alisher’s illness forced her to continue earning prize money, but it also revealed that she still found satisfaction in the work. “The main thing I like in gymnastics is the struggle between me and myself… And when I succeed in the struggle, I receive great satisfaction,” she explained.

That same determination continues to guide her. Only weeks after her fiftieth birthday this year, she won a silver medal on vault in Tashkent, adding to a gold from Baku and a bronze from Cottbus earlier in the season. And her presence continues on the international stage as she pursues a ninth Olympic appearance in Los Angeles in 2028 at 53. “I always feel myself young,” she says. “In my opinion, you shouldn’t take your age seriously. You need to do what you want to do.” 

For the children who train daily in her academy, Chusovitina’s words are more than encouragement. They are reinforced by the sight of their coach preparing for her own competitions.

Her dual role, as competitor and mentor, now defines her. In a country where she once lacked proper equipment, she ensures that today’s athletes have the resources she never did. The children see her not as a distant figure from textbooks or highlight reels but as a living model of resilience. She teaches them routines, but more importantly, she shows them that obstacles, whether age or adversity, need not dictate outcomes.

Boguinskaia believes “the gymnastics community and fans will remember her as a woman who inspires.” Yet for Chusovitina, legacy is a distant concept.

“If I inspire someone somewhere to do things, I’m very happy for that,” she says. But her attention remains on the present—on her training for Los Angeles, on the children at the academy, and on the work that still lies ahead. For someone who never intended to coach, she has become a guide whose example extends beyond medals.

Now, after missing Paris 2024, Oksana has made it clear that her love for gymnastics, her fight against age barriers, and her vision of opening a training center are what drive her pursuit of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Oksana Chusovitina reveals her drive after Paris 2024 miss, challenging the notion of early retirement in gymnastics

At an age when most gymnasts have long stepped away from competition, Oksana Chusovitina remains unwilling to surrender to convention. Her ambitions are not confined to nostalgia or legacy. They are tied to a belief that age should not dictate the limits of a woman’s sporting career. “I want to prove to myself, I’m fighting with myself, and I still want to see whether I can do this or not,” she explained.

For her, the notion that gymnastics is a pursuit only for the young is one she intends to confront directly.

Her determination is grounded in both discipline and affection for the sport. “What I know is that I feel strong. I don’t force myself to train. I still do it with joy, so I always say, ‘Why should I give up what makes me happy?’” she reflected. After being inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2017, she is the only one from that group to still be competing!

Chusovitina has made clear that her continued presence is not about defiance for its own sake, but about sustaining the bond she has always held with gymnastics. She insists that if a female gymnast desires to continue, the number beside her age should not compel retirement. “If she likes it, why should she retire if she is 30 years old? This is not right.” 

While she pursues her goal of reaching the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, her plans extend beyond her own routines. She is in the process of opening a training center, a project that allows her to shape the future of the sport even as she remains active within it. “I want to train children, and also train myself in these conditions. It will be a very nice gymnastics hall, so I can’t wait,” she shared. It is both a continuation of her extraordinary journey and a commitment to the generations who will follow.