48 year old Qiushovikina appears in Huanglong! Participating in the Asian Games is the goal, and playing is the focus

Her appearance is the focus!

Qiushovikina is waiting on the sidelines for training reporter Ye Yilin to take photos

On the evening of September 22nd, the Huanglong Sports Center Gymnasium welcomed the oldest active athlete in the gymnastics industry——

Uzbekistan gymnast Oksana Chusovikina, dressed in the national team uniform, with short hair tied in a neat bun and a cool hairstyle, came to the venue for stage training.

Qiu Suo Weijina, a legendary figure in the gymnastics industry, is also well-known in China and affectionately referred to as "Qiu Mama" by fans. Her appearance has attracted the attention of the museum staff, volunteers, and media.

Why does "Qiu Ma" receive attention every time she appears? Because she retired three times and made three comebacks, the spirit of hard work and never giving up behind this legendary experience has already surpassed the scope of gymnastics itself.

We are moved by her unwavering determination to never compromise with fate, and by her dedication and love for sports. Her brilliance lies not only in the sports arena, but also in the arena of life.

At the age of 48, she made a comeback to the Hangzhou Asian Games. After the stage training, the reporter had a conversation with "Qiu Mama" with "three questions" and approached her spiritual world.

Q: Why did he make a comeback and participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games?

When we carry our dreams, we become incredibly powerful. At the age of 48, Chusovikina, who is still fighting on the gymnastics field, can be said to be a "spiritual totem" in the international sports world.

"Have you heard about it? There is a 48 year old athlete who is also coming to participate in the competition these days, so amazing!" "Yes, I also saw her, so I admire her." The training on the competition platform on the evening of the 22nd has not yet started, and volunteer Huang Xin and his friends are all looking forward to seeing the legendary goddess's demeanor.

Through the internet, these young volunteers learned about Qiushovikina's story and were deeply moved by her spirit: "It's never too late to have dreams in my heart."

When I came to Hangzhou this time, Qiushovikina said that she had a dream - to win another major competition medal for her motherland Uzbekistan before truly retiring.

"I don't think I can end my sports career without winning any medals for Uzbekistan," she said.

During the stage training, the reporter found that unlike other young athletes who actively train in every event, Chusovikina focuses on horse vault training.

This is her strategy. "Because I'm getting older," Chusovikina told reporters that due to age and physical limitations, she couldn't fully devote herself to every project, so she focused on the vault event.

She has excellent skills in jumping horses. Since the beginning of this year, Qiushovikina has won medals in the women's vault event in multiple international competitions. In early September, she won the women's vault championship in the International Gymnastics Federation Challenge Cup Türkiye.

Not only in the Hangzhou Asian Games, but also in training to maintain her form and strive to represent Uzbekistan in the 2024 Paris Olympics. If she successfully qualifies for the competition, she will become the first active athlete to participate in 9 consecutive Olympic Games.

She also told reporters that Hangzhou left a good initial impression on her and hoped to have time to go out and explore the beautiful scenery of Hangzhou. She also hoped that this place could become her lucky spot and achieve her goal of winning medals.

Qiu Suo Weijina is undergoing vault training, photographed by journalist Tang Junyao

Question 2: What supports her and has been persisting on the field?

Only love can offset the long years; Only through love can one not fear the impermanence of the world.

On the evening of the 22nd, most of the athletes trained on the field with Qiushovikina were born in the 2000s. For example, all members of the Chinese women's gymnastics team participating in the Hangzhou Asian Games were born after 2000.

Compared to the post-00s around her, Qiushovikina's nearly 40 year gymnastics career is older than many athletes. After experiencing ups and downs, she retired with a "perfect career" at the age of 21 and went through two more retirements and three more comebacks.

Her first comeback was for her son, it was a love for her loved ones. Her son was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3, and she had to make a comeback at the age of 27 to win a prize by participating in a competition. To treat her son, she had to accept an olive branch from Germany and change her nationality to represent Germany in two Olympic Games. Her great maternal love touched the whole world.

And the second and third comebacks were a love for gymnastics and the motherland.

In order to fulfill her wish of winning another major medal for her motherland Uzbekistan, she changed her nationality and chose to make a second comeback, representing Uzbekistan in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. But things didn't go as planned, and I didn't even get a medal.

Not long after retiring from the Tokyo Olympics, she chose to make a third comeback and continue to work hard to fulfill her unfinished wish.

For the Hangzhou Asian Games, Qiushovikina dare not slack off at all. Before arriving in Hangzhou, she trained for up to 3 hours a day at the Tashkent Gymnasium.

The reporter found that during the stage training on the evening of the 22nd, each of her movements and jumps were recorded, and then she carefully reviewed with the coach to find areas for improvement.

We look forward to Qiuma's outstanding performance in the Hangzhou Asian Games, winning medals and fulfilling her wishes. For "Qiu Mama", her only opponent is herself.

Her repeated comebacks have further fueled her love for gymnastics. Qiushovikina said that she loves this sport and when she comes to the field, it feels like a fish encountering water.

At the age of 48, Chusovikina also enjoyed more of the joy of exercise itself. She said, "I enjoy training and competition more now because I realize it's something I do for myself."

Qiu Suo Weijina is preparing for vault training, photographed by journalist Tang Junyao

Three questions: What are your plans for the future after leaving the field?

In the Asian Games Village, the reporter met Uzbek journalist Dinara. She will stay in Hangzhou for more than 20 days, covering the entire process of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

"She is a great athlete!" When the reporter talked to her about Chusovikina, Dinara didn't hide her joy and used "very very popular" to describe Chusovikina's popularity in Uzbekistan.

As Dinara said, Chusovikina is great: her love for her son is great, her persistence and contribution to gymnastics are great, and her love for her country is even greater.

This spirit and sentiment also move and inspire many people. When the reporter told her that Chinese fans really liked her and nicknamed her "Qiu Ma", she smiled heartily. "Thank you very much for your liking," she said.

Besides the competition, she has already pushed for another great thing in her own country.

Chusovikina said that in the future, her main focus will be on the gymnastics academy in her hometown of Tashkent.

Chusovikina Gymnastics Academy is located in the suburbs of Tashkent, surrounded by beautiful scenery. It is one of the two sports colleges specially approved by the President of Uzbekistan. This college is about to be officially completed, and the gymnastics youths she is currently training will be relocated as a whole to this new college.

Chusovikina stated that her college will provide completely free education for children in Uzbekistan. "The best of them will represent our country in world-class competitions in the future."

In order to provide more operating funds for the gymnastics academy, Chusovikina and her husband have not yet moved into their independent houses. They are frugal in order to squeeze out every penny and invest it in their children's education.

Whether in the gymnastics arena or in the arena of life, Chusovikina is the pure and focused powerhouse.