Oksana Chusovitina who “retired” after the Tokyo Olympics was supposed to come back just for the 2022 Asian Games (she also picked up some World Cup medals on the way). However, the 2022 Asian Games were postponed for 2023 due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in China, and now Chusovitina is planning to continue until at least 2023 and possibly till the Paris Olympics. Chusovitina also qualified o compete on vault at the 2022 World Championships but said on Instagram she’s not yet sure she will attend.
While Chusovitina’s fans enthusiastically support her career, Valentina Rodionenko had a different opinion to share. Rodionenko, whose program is known for numerous gymnasts retiring before or shortly after puberty due to health issues, was concerned for Chusovitina’s health. Another concern of Rodionenko’s was Chusovitina’s “lack of results” even though Rodionenko’s own gymnasts currently cannot compete internationally and when they last did, at the 2022 Doha World Cup, Chusovitina took gold on vault while Viktoria Listunova finished third and Arina Semukhina – fifth. Rodionenko told MatchTV:
“Oksana is generally an unpredictable person. It’s hard to say for how long she can continue exploiting her body. I think [the Paris Olympics] are unlikely [for her]. Just to be present? Well, perhaps. But she’s incapable of showing any [high] results. I don’t believe in this, honestly. To claim it and not to show anything is one thing, I don’t know what goals she’s trying to achieve. It’s still unclear to me. She also didn’t show anything in Tokyo. Tell me, for what is [she doing] all this? After all, we want to see some results, we want to see some routines. Olympic Games aren’t a backyard competition, after all. If she can get Uzbekistan’s spot, if she can go… After all, not everyone can go to the Olympics. I respect Oksana, I know her well, but it’s not clear to me why exploit yourself without showing anything [good].”
In her own interview to MatchTV, Chusovitina, as usual, explained that she just wants to keep going because she enjoys the sport and can still do it. If she qualifies to Paris, it will be her 9th Olympics and she will be 49 years old.
Q: What is your own explanation for yourself why you need another Olympics?
A: I don’t want to set records. I just want to compete, that’s all. I’m good at it so I want to try it, to see, to qualify. You know, when a person is striving towards something and enjoys it, why not?
Q: After Tokyo, you talked about retiring. Why do you no longer wish to retire?
A: Hell, why did I say it… I should’ve stayed silent. [laughs] We, women, are like that – give a promise because we want to, take it back because we want to. Considering the events [at the Olympics], I guess I was in a mood that this was it. Later, when everything was well, when I came to a realization that I still can and want to do it, I told myself: “I need to do it so I won’t have regrets later”. I will try. If it works out – great, if not – I won’t regret it.
Q: What is happening in your life besides your athletic career?
A: We’re now waiting for the President’s decree about building a gymnastics academy named after me in Tashkent. We’re waiting for the beginning of the construction process. Our gym will be state of the art. As soon as it’s finished, we will recruit kids aged 7 or older. We’ll raise new talents.
Q: So, you’re currently transitioning from an athletic career to training new athletes?
A: Yes, yes, but for now, there’s no gym, so I work on training myself. As soon as the gym is built, I think I will fully dive into this new field. I am eagerly waiting for this.
Q: And for how many more years are you prepared to keep competing?
A: I don’t know yet. [laughs] After all, everything is happening step by step. By the way, for the Olympics, I would like to prepare a new vault, something I’ve never competed before.
Q: Nice! So, you want to not just go but also set yourself apart somehow?
A: Every athlete that goes to a major competition dreams of getting onto the medal podium. If he’s going there without such a dream, it’s better not to compete at all. Everyone is going there with this dream and I’m not an exception.
Q: Valentina Aleksandrovna Rodionenko has doubts about your trip to Paris. She doesn’t understand why you would exploit your body. Do you have an answer to that?
A: It’s my body, so I get to exploit it. Sometimes I look at younger gymnasts and their bodies look less healthy than mine. I feel healthy, I’m full of energy.
Q: What do you feel when you compete with gymnasts who could be your daughters in terms of age?
A: I feel invigorated. Young gymnasts give me this energy. Sometimes I even feel happy or proud that I’m not worse than them.
Q: Is your intention [to keep competing] supported in Uzbekistan?
A: There are good and bad people in everyone country. Both help you move forward. I’m loved in Uzbekistan and people’s love is the biggest kind of wealth you can have. Bad guys also help you move forward. When people say: “Oh, why does she need this? She’s old!” You know, sometimes I want to show them that I’m not old at all, that I can still do something. Our life is a constant fight. I think the fact that I can always turn around and leave helps me stay positive.
Q: And will you easily do it?
A: Yes.
Q: Were you subject to any sanctions during the ban on Russian athletes?
A: No, no, everything’s fine. Many people hope everything will be well soon. I think that sports should be free of politics after all. Athletes from any sports have nothing to do with it. I am for world peace. I’m for not banning athletes.
Q: Are you prepared to compete at Russian competitions in the near future? Our competitions will surely be open to athletes from the former Soviet countries.
A: Yes, of course. In the end of May, I will participate in Lyosha Nemov’s show. If I get invited [to compete in Russia], I will gladly come. Competing against the strongest gymnasts is always good.
Even though Chusovitina believes athletes have nothing to do with politics or the war in Ukraine, Russian athletes keep proving this statement wrong and her association with them might be problematic. In addition to the incident with Ivan Kuliak in Doha, multiple Russian gymnasts expressed support for the government publicly and Nikita Nagorny, the head of the Youth Army, has participated in multiple events in support of the war. The latest was his appearance at the Victory Parade where he marched at the head of the Youth Army regiment. Ksenia Shogu, Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu’s daughter posted a video of Nagorny marching at the parade. Shoigu and her husband are friends with Nagorny and Daria Spiridonova. While Victory Day Parades have been taking place in Russia for a while (they were not as common in the USSR), this year’s parade has been heavily used as a part of government war propaganda in which Ukraine is equated with Nazi Germany and Russia is presented as the savior of the world order.
Alexey “Lyosha” Nemov, a colonel in the Russian army, is also involved with the propaganda and attended the parade.
Recently, he also participated in Alina Kabayeva’s WWII-themed show that was also part of the pro-war propaganda campaign and heavily featured the Z symbol.
