Winning for my sonOksana Chusovitma, a veteran of five Olympics who won a team gold medal in 1992 with the Unified Team of athletes from the former Soviet Union, earned an individual silver medal on August 17，2008 when she did two sturdy vaults.Her 9-year-old son, Alisher, is in recovery from leukemia, the illness that brought Chusovitina to Germany six years ago.It is because of that illness that Chusovitina competes for Germany instead of her native Uzbekistan. And gymnastics helped save Alisher’s life.Chusovitina is unusual among the ponytailed sprites who dominate the sport. She has short hair and straight bangs.Her leotards aren’t sparkly or in pastel pinks or purples; she prefers darker colors.And she is not finished, according to what she said Sunday, silver medal in hand. “I could go to London in 2012，” she said. “I will only be 37.”In 2002 she and her husband, wrestler Bakhodir Kurpanov, were competing at the Asian Games in South Korea when her mother called to say Alisher was sick.When Chusovitina returned home, it was to find out he had leukemia.
