Asian Games: Uzbek Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina Wins Silver at Age 39

Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina was winning gold medals at international meets before many of her rivals at the Asian Games were even born. At 39 years of age, she's not done yet. (Asian Games Coverage | Medal Tally)

Having taken silver in the vault at Incheon, Chusovitina has her aim firmly set on the 2016 Rio Olympics, when she'll be 41. That would be her seventh appearance at an Olympic Games, an amazing feat for almost any athlete, much less one competing in a sport like gymnastics that so favors the young.

"Seven is my favorite number," Chusovitina said following Thursday night's competition. "I feel good but tired, but I am happy with the result."

While more than 100 athletes have appeared in six or more Olympics, Chusovitina is the only gymnast to do so.

Chusovitina took up gymnastics at age seven back when Uzbekistan was part of the former Soviet Union and won the national all-around title in 1988, a year before the fall of the Berlin Wall. She has represented her native country, the Soviet and Unified teams and Germany, where she lived while her son was being treated for leukemia, before returning to Uzbekistan last year.

Along the way, she's won Olympic gold and silver, three World Championship golds, two Asian Games titles and scores of other medals.

Love of the sport rather than financial necessity keeps her coming out for meets, Chusovitina said. Being in competition makes her feel like "a fish in water," she said.

Chusovitina placed second to Hong Un Jong, who also beat her for Olympic vaulting gold at the 2012 London Olympics. As far as the challenge from younger athletes goes, Chusovitina isn't fazed.

"I'm not intimidated by them," she said. "If anything, they must be intimidated by me!"