51 and still flying: Chusovitina inspires Malaysian gymnast at Asian Games
NAGOYA: Young artistic gymnast Marissa Zaiful is inspired to work even harder in training after competing alongside Uzbekistan’s legendary Oksana Chusovitina at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games.
NAGOYA, Japan — Young Malaysian artistic gymnast Marissa Zaiful was inspired to train harder after competing alongside 51-year-old Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games. Despite her age, Chusovitina outperformed 46 other younger athletes, securing a fourth-place finish in the women's vault event. At 18 and 17 years old, Marissa and her teammate Yeap Kang Xian were among those humbled by the champion's performance.
Chusovitina, a three-time world champion and former Olympic gold medallist, finished fifth in the vault final with a score of 13.199. Marissa, who placed eighth with a score of 12.733, described the final as a nerve-wracking but valuable experience, as she competed alongside top gymnasts like Chusovitina. The young gymnast, born in Thailand but raised in Malaysia, hopes to make it to the Olympics one day.
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