Now that Oksana Chusovitina has formally declared for the Paris-2024 Olympics, the story has me excited about the importance of her changing into a 9x Olympian. In its historical past Soviet ladies’s inventive gymnastics (WAG) made solely 9 official appearances on the Olympics underneath its personal flag. If Chusovitina had been to reach her purpose of constructing the 2024 Olympics, it means she would have as many Olympic appearances as Soviet WAG had in its total historical past.
This explicit element has me considering of how fascinating Chusovitina’s profession timeline is whenever you evaluate it to numerous moments of WAG historical past. For instance, if Chusovitina was a late Fifties gymnast who achieved the identical quantity of longevity, she would have been teammates with nearly each Soviet legend that has ever been related to this system.
To contextualize this, what if we assume no matter which yr Oksana Chusovitina makes her senior debut, she is going to at all times obtain the identical longevity she is thought for? What if we are saying Oksana Chusovitina didn’t make her debut on the 1991 World Championships, however competed as a substitute on the 1958 World Championships? What kind of historic moments would Oksana Chusovitina witness as a gymnast within the subsequent eight Olympics from 1958 and onwards? What kind of whacky overlaps would Chusovitina’s 33 yr profession create?
I made a decision to measure Chusovitina’s profession size at 33 years as a result of that’s the time distinction between 1991 and 2024. In 1991 Chusovitina made her senior debut on the Group-1 degree (Olympics and/or World Championships) whereas she has pledged to proceed at this degree via the 2024 season. Coincidently, 33 years can be the precise time distinction between her first ever look in a televised gymnastics competitors that includes an Olympic caliber worldwide discipline (1989) and her most up-to-date such competitors (2022).
Let’s start:
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1928…
She’d compete on the first Olympics ever. However the extra noteworthy stat is this might happen only one yr after Charles Lindbergh’s famed flight throughout the Atlantic, whereas the tip of Oksana’s profession would are available the identical yr Yuri Gagarin flew into outer area.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1939…
Oksana could be a veteran of the pre-World Struggle II period of gymnastics whereas the halfway level of her profession would overlap with Vera Caslavska and Larissa Latynina in what is commonly referred to as the classical period of gymnastics. However the conclusion of her profession would happen within the Korbut period.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1948…
She’d compete for the Soviet program in eras the place its high gymnast was 31 years previous (Galina Urbanovich) and allegedly solely 13 years previous (Olga Bicherova).
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1949…
Initially of her profession Soviet WAGs had been nonetheless coaching on Rings and Excessive Bar whereas the tip of her profession would characteristic teammates that had been able to Yurchenko-style vaults.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1953…
She would have competed in opposition to each Larissa Latynina and Natalia Yurchenko.
Her profession would have predated Larissa Latynina’s senior debut on the Group-1 Degree whereas persevering with even after Yurchenko’s retirement.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1957…
Her senior debut would happen previous to the Berlin Wall being constructed and she or he’d nonetheless be competing after it was torn down.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1958…
Throughout her last World Championships one in every of Chusovitina’s teammates would have fun her fifteenth birthday (Tatiana Gutsu). Whereas at her first World Championships one in every of her teammates was competing whereas secretly pregnant (Larissa Latynina).
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1960…
She would have witnessed each the Olympic debut of Vera Caslavska and the World Championships debut of Lilia Podkopayeva.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1961…
America would have had 9 completely different Presidential administrations throughout her gymnastics profession. Each Dwight D. Eisenhower and Invoice Clinton could be Presidents whereas Chusovitina was actively competing.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1966…
She would have competed in opposition to Larissa Latynina, Vera Caslavska, Nadia Comaneci, and Svetlana Khorkina on the Group-1 degree.
She additionally would have competed in opposition to American icons Cathy Rigby and Vanessa Atler.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1967…
She would have competed in opposition to Vera Caslavska on the Olympics whereas additionally witnessing the Sydney vault fiasco.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1970…
She would have watched each Ludmilla Turischeva and Carly Patterson win the primary All-Round medals of their respective careers.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1974…
She would have competed in opposition to each Olga Korbut and Shawn Johnson.
Beneath this situation Oksana’s profession would predate Nadia Comaneci’s first excellent 10, whereas additionally competing within the period the place the Good 10 was abolished (open ended scoring).
In different phrases, Oksana Chusovitina would been capable of personally watch each Good 10 that was ever awarded in Group-1 degree competitors.
She would additionally compete within the eras the place the World Championships had been held as soon as each 4 years, as soon as each two years, and as soon as each non-Olympic yr.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1978…
She would have been current when Marcia Frederick received Group USA’s first ever gold medal in ladies’s gymnastics, whereas additionally competing in opposition to Gabby Douglas on the World Championships.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1980…
She would have watched each Elena Davydova and Simone Biles win All-Round titles.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1983…
She would have competed in opposition to each Olga Mostepanova and Angelina Melnikova.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 1984…
Oksana would compete in an American Olympics, one other American Olympics, after which witness the town from her first American Olympics win the bid to host the Olympics once more whereas nonetheless actively competing.
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 2005…
At her eighth Olympics Chusovitina could be competing in opposition to gymnasts who aren’t even born but (as of the writing of this text).
If Oksana Chusovitina’s profession had began in 2020…
Viktoria Listunova could be 43 years previous when Oksana Chusovitina competes in her eighth Olympics.
Aliya Mustafina’s daughter might be 31 years previous.
Different Chuso articles:
Is Oksana Chusovitina the Final Soviet Athlete?
The Longevity of Oksana Chusovitina Visualized
