Two bronze medals – this is a catch of Azerbaijani gymnasts on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. If to be more precise, in Italian Pesaro resort town – the homeland of a famous opera composer Joakkino Rossini – where another World Cup series and international tournament among juniors has taken place under the dome of the Adriatic Arena.
According to the press service of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, the national team’s leader Aliya Garayeva contented herself with the third place this time. Having taken the 6th place in the all-around qualification, she reached the 3 finals of 4. She was more successful in one and a half minute juggling with clubs than taming ribbon (4th place) and kicking a ball (8th place), and as a result, Garayeva mounted the 3rd level of the podium losing to her long-time rivals from Russia – Yevgeniya Kanayeva and Darya Kondakova. It should also be mentioned that she lost less than 0.5 to the latter.
“And the second “bronze” was put into our medal box by Nilufar Niftaliyeva,” the head coach of the country’s national team Mariana Vasileva informed. “Performing in the junior’s tournament, a 14-year-old gymnast of Baku won the 3rd place in the final with clubs also losing less than 0.5 points to the first and second prize-winners from Russia and Italy. Niftaliyeva became the 7th in another final with a hoop. She, jointly with a gymnast of her age Gulsum Shafizada, took the 6th place in a team competition.”
As to other participants of the World Cup, Lala Yusifova became the 21st among 45 competitors and the group team took the 14th place.
Next week-end, other both senior and junior gymnasts will perform in the international tournament in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
In the meanwhile, competitions of very young gymnasts have come to an end in Ufa where the representatives of Azerbaijan participated in as well. Thus, gymnasts of Baku Gymnastics School Ilaha Mammadova (born in 2001) and a 9-year-old Darya Farshbakhshahriyari won a victory in their age groups. And Vafa Hasanzada (born in 2002) was announced “Miss Plasticity” by the Bashkir organizers.