BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19. The National Gymnastics Arena in Baku has wonderful conditions, plenty of space for training, and an excellent competition hall, the participant of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Baku, an athlete representing Germany, Darja Varfolomeev told Trend.
"On the competition's first day, there's always some stress. Surprisingly, I performed the hoop routine confidently, exceeding my expectations. With a new ball program, I started cautiously but gained momentum and completed it strongly. Tomorrow, I'll present a new club routine, which I've already performed five times this year. The ribbon routine is familiar; I won first place with it at last year's European Championships in Baku," said the gymnast, who visits the capital of Azerbaijan for the third time.
Germany is represented by three gymnasts in the individual program at the World Cup in Baku. According to Darja Varfolomeev, the athletes support and help each other.
"We support each other and rejoice in successes. If we talk about competitors from other countries, I focus more on myself at competitions; I don't watch who performs; I try to think more about myself, work with the apparatus, and listen to music," she added.
To note, the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup takes place at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku on April 19–21. Over 110 gymnasts from more than 40 countries take part in the competition. Gymnasts perform in the individual and group exercise programs.
Azerbaijan is represented by Zohra Aghamirova and Kamilla Seyidzade in the individual program, as well as the group exercise team consisting of Gullu Agalarzade, Kamilla Aliyeva, Yelyzaveta Luzan, Darya Sorokina, Laman Alimuradova, and Zeynab Hummatova.
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