CHASING A MEDAL ON TWO WHEELS

A member of Azerbaijan’s elite cycle-racing team and the “Synergy Baku Cycling Project” continental team, Maksim Averin, has won the right to take part in the 31st Summer Olympic Games which are to be held in Rio de Janeiro in August this year. In this connection, the International Union of Cyclists (UCI) has sent a letter of confirmation to the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan and to the Azerbaijani Cycling Federation. Maksim Averin is to represent his country in the group competitions in these, the world’s most prestigious games. 

In keeping with the rules of the International Cycling Federation, sportsmen earn licence points entitling them to enter into the Olympic Games by taking part in club-level competitions and knock-out rounds throughout the continents that they represent, a year before the start of the Games. Having performed successfully as part of the “Synergy Baku Cycling Project” in a series of competitions in 2015, Maksim Averin gained 158 licence points. This was sufficient for him to be one of the 142 cyclists who will take part in the group competitions in [the Brazilian city of] Rio de Janeiro. 

It is interesting that Maksim Averin’s father, Alexander Averin, who was also trained in the Azerbaijani cycling school and was a World Tour winner in 1978, was a member of the USSR team at the Olympic Games in Montreal [Canada] in 1976 too. 

Olga Ismayilova, a member of the track cycling team, will take part in the 31st Olympic Games. This sportswoman won her Olympic licence points in two disciplines, sprint and keirin. 

According to International Cyclist Union regulations, sportsmen collect licence points in three tournaments in all types of sports, including in World and European Championships and the World Cup, in which they take part two years before the Olympic Games (the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons). Having performed successfully in a number of competitions in these seasons, Ismayilova was able to gain a place among the 27 cyclists who won the right to take part in the Olympic Games in two types of competitions.

Maksim Averin welcomed the news that he could take part in the Olympic Games with great enthusiasm. In an interview with Regionplus, the sportsman stated that he was ready to participate in such a prestigious competition in his sports career: “It is largely to the credit of the federation, coaches and the “Synergy Baku Cycling Project” that I have gained the licence. Now all my thoughts are focused on the Olympic Games. I am ready to train day and night in order to give a fitting performance at the planet’s major competitions. For sportsmen the Olympic Games are a festive occasion, so I am happy to be taking part in the Rio Olympics. Successes need encouragement. All our requirements are being met so that we can give a high-spec performance. We just need to believe in ourselves.” 

Thus, the number of Azerbaijani sportsmen who have gained licences to take part in the Olympic Games in Brazil has reached 35.

Before the cyclists, the following sportsmen gained the right to take part in the Olympic Games: Maxim Shemberev (swimming); Patimat Abakarova, Farida Azizova, Milad Beigi Harchegani and Radik Isayev (taekwondo); Oleg Stepko (sports gymnastics); Marina Durunda (rhythmic gymnastics); Nazim Babayev (triple jump); Hayle Ibrahimov ( long-distance track athlete, 5,000 metres); Anna Skidan (athletics, hammer); Inna Osypenko-Radomska (sprint kayaking, 500 and 200 metres); Valentin Demyanenko (flatwater canoeing, 200 metres); Aleksandr Aleksandrov-Boris Yotov (university rowing, 200 metres); Yury Meglich (canoeing-slalom); Elvin Mamiszada, Albert Salimov and Parviz Bagirov (boxing); Elvin Mursaliyev, Sabah Shariati, Rovsan Bayramov and Saman Tahmasib (Greco-Roman wrestling); Maria Stadnik, Anzhela Dorogan and Yuliya Radkevich (women’s wrestling); Togrul Asgarov, Magomedgadji Khatiyev, Hetag Gazyumov and Ca-maladdin Magomedov (free-style wrestling). Besides this, our men’s heavy athletics team has also won another four licences. 

In an interview with Regionplus, the deputy minister of youth and sport, Ismayil Ismayilov, stated that the number of licences will go up in the coming months. He said that it is most likely that just as many sportsmen will represent Azerbaijan in Rio as in the 2012 London Olympics: “It would not be right to make forecasts at the present time, since the battle to gain access to Rio is ongoing. As you know, the judokas’ licences will be determined at the end of May. The gymnasts and boxers may boost the number of licences they gain. Our main aim is to at least reproduce the previous figures of four years ago in London. It is important to represent Azerbaijan in a worthy manner at the most important competition on the planet. Therefore our Olympic team is continuing to pursue a special training programme in readiness for the Olympics.” 

Incidentally, Azerbaijan is not going to order the outfits for its delegation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro from a well-known European fashion house. The Ministry of Youth and Sport has reported to Regionplus that this time the outfits will be made at one of the fashion houses in Italy, but at the same time, it will be of exceptional quality. It is noteworthy that the sportsmen’s outfits for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London were made by the fashion house of the world famous designer Ermanno Scervino.