After Asian Games delay, Oksana Chusovitina eyes Paris 2024 and ninth Olympic Games

After coming out of retirement following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, with the goal of ending her career with a medal at this year's Asian Games, artistic gymnastics legend Oksana Chusovitina says their postponement has pushed her to focus on Paris 2024.

"I thought about it well and decided that after the Asian Games, I would also prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics," Chusovitina said according to an article from the Uzbekistan Olympic Committee.

Last week, organisers announced that the Asian Games, previously scheduled for September in Hangzhou, China, would be delayed due to Covid concerns, and would not take place in 2022.

Chusovitina, 46, returned to competition earlier this year after a brief retirement. In the few short months of her return, the eight-time Olympian has won two golds and one silver on vault at three International Gymnastics Federation World Cup events. Last weekend, the 1992 team gold medallist won the vault title at the Uzbek national championships.

Previously, Chusovitina, who has represented Uzbekistan, the Unified Team, and Germany at the Games, had been hesitant to commit to Paris 2024, telling Olympics.com earlier this year, "You know, I won't say no. Everything is possible in our lives. So we will live today and we will see what happens tomorrow."