BRONZE MEDAL OF THE WORLD CUP

It is the sixth time that Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, hosts the World Cup in rhythmic gymnastics. The championship gathered 127 gymnasts from 26 countries in Baku in late April for the medals of this prestigious competition. At the same time, 44 athletes performed in individual programs, and 83 - in group exercises.

During the first two days, the gymnasts competed in qualification stage. According to the results, the winners of multi-discipline competition were revealed for both programs, while the athletes qualified for the finals in individual apparatus. On the last day of the competition, eight strongest gymnasts and teams in group exercises began competition in the finals.

Azerbaijani athletes were also qualified for the finals. As a result, the national team of Azerbaijan in group exercises became the third strongest in exercises with hoop. Azerbaijani athletes demonstrated an interesting and dynamic composition taking 17,600 points from the referees. In group exercises with hoops, our team represented by Aishan Bayramova, Diana Doman, Zeynab Hummatova, Aliya Pashayeva, and Sian Vasilyeva became the bronze medallists of the World Cup. Bulgarian national team became the strongest (19,800) followed by the silver medallists of the tournament, the national team of Italy (18.000).

The head coach of the Azerbaijani national team in rhythmic gymnastics Mariana Vasilyeva said that she was satisfied with the performance of the national team. "We regret the mistakes made in exercises with ball and skipping ropes, although I hoped that this competition would be a turning point for our athletes psychologically. Thanks God we won the medal for the first time in Baku. I am very happy today because I saw in the hall many children and their parents who wanted this medal. It means their efforts were not in vain," said M. Vasilyeva in her interview with R+.

Vasilyeva also commented the results of previous competitions. "When everything ends well, you forget about your troubles, tears, and unpleasant moments. I'm very glad that we finished the competition with a good result. It is very difficult to perform at home. We have a growing number of fans every year. Especially the hall was crowded on the final day of the tournament. This makes us feel responsible before our fans. The girls have tried to demonstrate the best they can. Finally, we were able to delight our fans. All the strongest teams in group exercises could do that but the Russian national team," said M. Vasilyeva.

According to Vasilyeva, the success of our national team in the World Cup was a result of great attention to sports and athletes from the President of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation Mehriban Aliyeva: "We achieved this success thanks to close cooperation between our team and the President of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva. We would like to thank Mrs. Aliyeva for the conditions created for us and for the ongoing support. We always feel her presence regardless of our results. This is a sign of her confidence in us, which makes us feel more responsible."

With no time to relax after the Baku tournament, Azerbaijani gymnasts performed at the World Cup Challenge series held in Guadalajara, Spain. Our team consisting of Aishan Bayramova, Diana Doman, Zeynab Hummatova, Aliya Pashayeva, and Siana Vasilyeva won bronze medals in group exercises with three balls and two ropes. The performance of Azerbaijani athletes (one of 17 participating teams) was awarded 17.350 points. Ahead were only the teams of Bulgaria and Italy.

Thanks to the medals in three world cups during a single season, Azerbaijani national team in rhythmic gymnastics achieved a kind of hat trick. First, there was a bronze medal in the all-around event at the Grand Prix in Thiais, France. Then the team became the third strongest team in Baku and Guadalajara.

The national team of Azerbaijan is demonstrating a stable performance preparing for another serious test. In late May, Guadalajara will host the European Championship in gymnastics.