BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 29
By Jani Babayeva - Trend:
We dedicate the gold medal won at the 16th World Aerobic Gymnastics Championships to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani gymnasts who took first place in competitions in the aerodance program told Trend.
The team includes Nurjan Jabbarly, Madina Mustafayeva, Imran Imranov, Elchin Mammadov, Narmina Huseynova, Aykhan Ahmadli, Nigar Ibrahimbayli and Akif Karimli.
"Our performance in qualifying took place on May 28, Republic Day, and we dedicate the medals won at the World Championship to our Republic," athletes said.
The gymnasts expressed their gratitude to the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation for the support and conditions created for the preparation for the competition.
"During the pandemic, all conditions were created for us to prepare for the competition, so that we could perform with dignity at the World Championship. At the competition, a team of eight comes out on the carpet, but behind us there are many people whose hearts beat in unison with ours. We express our gratitude to them," Akif Karimli said.
In the context of this victory, the athletes recalled the 2019 European Championship, where they also won gold.
"If we compare the programs of the European Championships and the World Championships, then this year changes were made, exercises were complicated. And yet - at the competition in 2021, we performed in the status of European champions, and we had to keep this bar," gymnasts said.
They noted that their main task in any competition is to present the program well.
"In any competition we have entered, medals have never been our goal. Our task is to be the best, to show the high level of the program. Neither at the European Championships nor at the World Championships, my teammates and I talked about medals, the most important thing is to perform with dignity," Akif Karimli said.
The athletes also said they lacked fans in the stands.
"The atmosphere created by the fans is special, their support inspires the athletes. However, despite the fact that the stands were empty due to the pandemic, we felt the support of the fans, we knew that they were worried about us," gymnasts said.
The World Championship was held on May 27-29, 166 athletes from 22 countries took part in it. During the three-day competition, gymnasts competed in the individual program for women and men, in mixed pairs, trios, groups, as well as in the aerodance and aostep programs.
The competitions was held in accordance with the quarantine measures in force in Azerbaijan, taking into account sanitary and epidemiological requirements and without spectators.