Age Is No Barrier to Sporting Passion

One of the most touching moments of the Tokyo Games this summer was entirely spontaneous.During the qualifying round of the women's gymnastics,46-year-old Oksana Chusovitina took to the podium in her 8th Olympics as she attempted to qualify for the vault finals one last time.Chusovitina,who won her finals world championship golds in 1991 and took an Olympic team gold in 1992,had previously announced that Tokyo would mark the end of her illustrious career.

Chusovitina finished 14th in the vault competition that day,missing the final after two fine but flawed vaults.8．Across the floor,all the other gymnasts gave Chusovitina a standing ovation,a gesture that moved her to tears.

Even as she convincingly explained her intention to move on from the sport and to devote more time to her son,Alisher,she has always been terrible at retiring.She had indicated that she would retire after the 2009 World Championships,aged 34.9．Each time Chusovitina has considered retirement,her sheer passion for the sport and tireless motivation has won out.

10．When she posted a video of herself working through an uneven bars routine with no grips,the jokes about“unretirement”began.11．Chusovitina explained that she left Tokyo unsatisfied by her result and determined to finish her career on a high:“I really want to end my career with a medal for Uzbekistan,”she said to Sputnik.“It will not be the Olympic Games,but the Asian ones,but I really want it.When my heart asks,I have to do it.”

A．It has done so again.

B．Luck,however,has not been on her side so far.

C．Three years later,she set London 2012 as the end point.

D．The turbulent past few years could have shattered Chusovitina's confidence but her commitment is admirable.

E.Instead of an audience at the empty Ariake Gymnastics Centre to send her off,her fellow competitors unexpectedly took charge.

F.Last Thursday,within eight weeks of the Olympics ending,Chusovitina announced that she would continue to train with her eyes set on the 2022 Asian Games next September.