RIO DE JANEIRO -- Unless you ran a marathon today, Oksana Chusovitina has you beat.
And maybe not even then.
The 41-year-old gymnast from Uzbekistan competed in the vault final Sunday. Sure, she finished seventh, second-to-last in the eight-woman field. But given that she’s closer in age to her competitors’ parents than her competitors themselves, it was still an impressive display.
“Because I like it,” Chusovitina said, simply, when asked what keeps bringing her back. “This is kind of an experiment. I would like to see how long will (I be able) to compete.”
Chusovitina would be a marvel in any sport, competing in her seventh Olympic Games.