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Interview with Oksana Chusovitina, the oldest gymnast in Brazil

CCTV.com

08-18-2016 11:06 BJT

Full coverage: 2016 Rio Olympics

Gymnastics is one of the most popular sports at the Olympics, and it is usually dominated by teenage girls. But one competitor in Rio who does not fit that mold is Oksana Chusovitina who, at the age of 41, is the oldest gymnast in Brazil.

These Summer Games are the Uzbek's seventh Olympics, and she joined Tracey Holmes to discuss her love of the sport, and what's kept her going for three decades.

Interview with Oksana Chusovitina, the oldest gymnast in Brazil

Interview with Oksana Chusovitina, the oldest gymnast in Brazil

Chusovitina said, "It's joyful for me because I love the sport. I never thought of competing at my seventh Olympics. I am just doing what I love. Why not? I love gymnastics."

"I love my son very much and he is the most beautiful thing in my life. I love him. He is my whole life. Now he has recovered and plays basketball. November 18th, he will turn 17, and he will basically be an adult. I love him very, very, much. He is also a commentator for my competition, he tells me what I did right, and what I did wrong. Anyway, I love him very, very, much."

41-year-old Uzbek gymnast competing at seventh Olympic Games

41-year-old Uzbek gymnast competing at seventh Olympic Games

Gymnast’s child needed medical care unavailable in Uzbekistan

"He is studying in Germany and in grade 10 now. Usually he plays basketball, just like other children his age."

"I represented Germany to compete at the Olympics, because at that time my son was sick and I moved there to get medical treatment for him. But after my son healed, I asked to come back to my country. After all Uzbekistan is my country, I grew up there and it's my everything. I love my country very much. I hope to keep training and one day the national flag of Uzbekistan will be raised at the Olympics."

41-year-old hasn’t ruled out competing at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

"You know what? I feel good, full of power. Now I can feel my strength and my strong will. So I will keep on training."

"I have a lot of things to do, my life is not just training. I have a good friend, Svetlana Boginskaya, who helps me a lot. We go to train the children. And we will go to the international gymnastics training camp, who have also helped me before and was my sponsor. So I have lot of things to do after retirement."

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