Uzbekistan gymnast Oksana Chusovitina's hope of competing in her ninth consecutive Olympic Games has been dashed by a devastating injury. The 48-year-old revealed on Thursday through her Instagram account that she sustained the injury while training for the Asian Gymnastic Championships, currently taking place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Chusovitina needed to participate in the championships and finish as the highest eligible athlete in the all-around standings to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics and achieve her dream of an unprecedented ninth straight Olympic appearance. Sadly, her injury means she will not be able to compete and fulfill this long-standing goal.

Expressing her disappointment, Chusovitina wrote, "I am very upset as I have been preparing for this competition for a long time. I wanted to perform in our country, in front of our fans. But, unfortunately, tomorrow you will not see me among the participants." Despite her setback, she encouraged her fans to support the other gymnasts representing Uzbekistan.

Since her Olympic debut in 1992 as a member of the "Unified Team," which included athletes from former Soviet republics, Chusovitina has competed in every Summer Games. In her debut year, she secured a gold medal in the team all-around event. She added to her medal collection in 2008 in Beijing, winning a medal in the vault competition while representing Germany. Chusovitina then switched back to Uzbekistan for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Chusovitina's recent victory in the Uzbekistan all-around title in April had boosted her hopes for Paris 2024. She triumphed over Lobar Amrillaeva, a young gymnast born in 2006. However, even if she had qualified for the upcoming Games, Chusovitina's record would have been short-lived. The current record holder for the most consecutive Olympic appearances is 54-year-old Georgian shooter Nino Salukvadze. Salukvadze, who has participated in every Summer Games since 1988, will extend her record in Paris, becoming the first athlete ever to qualify for 10 Olympics in a row.

Chusovitina's injury is a heartbreaking setback for the veteran gymnast, who aimed to create a new milestone in Olympic history. Despite this disappointment, her determination and resilience throughout her career have made her an inspiration to aspiring gymnasts all over the world.