Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 18
Trend:
The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) is trying to equally develop all kinds of gymnastics, Farid Gaibov, AGF secretary general, told reporters in Baku Feb. 18.
He said that it is necessary to hold the competitions to promote new kinds of gymnastics which have been recently developing in Azerbaijan.
“The competitions would attract a large number of spectators,” he said.
"The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation is developing six kinds of gymnastics - four of them Olympic and two non-Olympic,” he added. “We are trying to equally develop all kinds of gymnastics. We have achieved success in some kinds of gymnastics and it is necessary to work more to achieve the same results in others.”
“We have the National Gymnastics Arena and it is possible to hold local and international competitions there,” he said.
"Trampoline gymnastics has been developing in the country for three years, so it is early to expect medals from our gymnasts,” he added. “But it is a victory for us to see the spectators.”
“Azerbaijani gymnast Ilya Grishunin has already won a medal at the European Games,” he said. “Today he has perfectly performed and qualified for the final. I hope that he will perform well tomorrow too. Grishunin will compete with Olympic champion and other athletes. We hope that he will win the competitions.”
“The synchronized competitions will be held in the evening,” he said. “Grishunin and other Azerbaijani gymnast Oleg Piunov will perform there and we hope that they will advance to the finals.”
Gaibov also highlighted the successful performance of Azerbaijani tumbling gymnast Mikhail Malkin, who advanced to the World Cup finals.
The first day of the new Olympic cycle’s first World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics and Tumbling has kicked off at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.
The qualifications in men’s and women’s trampoline gymnastics and tumbling will take place on the first day of the competitions.
At these events, Azerbaijan will be represented by Ilya Grishunin, Oleg Piunov, Ruslan Aghamirov, Sviatlana Makshtarova and Veronika Zemlianaia in the trampoline individual and synchro pairs programs, as well as by Mikhail Malkin on the tumbling track.
The World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics and Tumbling in Baku will end Feb. 19.
Eighty-five trampoline and tumbling gymnasts from 15 countries will test their strength on the basis of the new Code of Points coming into force in 2017.
The qualifications on the first day of the competitions will be followed by finals the next day.
Among famous men trampoline athletes, there will be Olympic Games’ gold medalist Uladzislau Hancharou (Belarus), silver medalist Dmitry Ushakov (Russia), the medalists of the World Championships Sebastien Martiny (France), Andrey Yudin (Russia), Mikhail Melnik (Russia), while among women trampoline athletes there will be Tatsiana Piatrenia (Belarus) and Anna Kornetskaya (Russia).
At tumbling men’s events, the World Championships silver medalist Grigory Noskov (Russia) is in the list of competitors on the tumbling track, while at women’s competitions, gold winner of the European Championships Anna Korobeinikova (Russia), as well as silver medalist of the World and European Championships Lucie Colebeck (UK) and other gymnasts will demonstrate their mastery.
