At 46, the Uzbek gymnast has defied all odds to compete at her eighth Olympic Games in Tokyo but following the opening day of the women's competition, she bid a tearful farewell after failing to make the cut for the vault final. "I had been preparing for things to end here, but it's impossible to be fully ready for ending your career," she said. Chusovitina become the Soviet all-around champion at 13 and the world champion on floor in 1991. "There is no secret," said the Uzbek, who had made it into the vault final at the Rio Olympics five years ago. Now done with gymnastics, Chusovitina said she was looking forward to devoting more time to her family and opening a sports club in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Source: The Star July 25, 2021 12:33 UTC