Final championship

An athlete earned Azerbaijan its first big sporting victory in 2013. The most promising member of the national team, Hayle Ibrahimov became European champion. In the European Athletics Championship in the Swiss city of Goteborg, the Ethiopian-born sportsman earned a gold medal in the 3,000 metre indoor run. 

By becoming European champion Ibrahimov achieved great success not only in his career but in the history of athletics in independent Azerbaijan. In addition, he won a gold medal in an adult championship. In the 2010 championship he earned a bronze medal and in 2011, he won a silver medal. Despite the fact that he made it to the final in the 2012 London Olympics in the 5,000 metre run, eventually he only came ninth. 

After returning from Sweden, Ibrahimov shared his impressions about the European Championship in an interview with R+.

- Congratulations, Hayle! Did you expect your victory? Did you believe that you would win before you travelled to take part to the championship?

- Every sportsman believes in success. The trick is that when the game starts you need to forget about everything and concentrate on the game. Everybody knows that athletics is a very competitive sport. Therefore, I needed to seriously prepare myself. I had a successful start in this tournament and I had good chances of winning the final. Nevertheless, I did not talk about this with anyone. If you want to become a champion, you need to distinguish yourself and let everyone see what you are capable of. 

- All athletes have their way of practicing. What was your main advantage during the championship?

- At the preparatory stage I trained myself to get into very good shape. I had information about my rivals with whom I would have to compete. Until the final I had not used my capacities to the full. Even in the semi-final I did not try to come first. I needed to win the right to participate in the final and show my full capacity in the final. In other words, in the initial stages I spared my energy. In the final I fully revealed myself and beat all my rivals. 

- In the post-Olympic season some strong sportsmen refrained from participating in the European Championship. Could you say that the absence of the favourites played in your hands?

- I would not say that this was indeed the case. All countries send their best sportsmen to the European Championship. Therefore, if one strong sportsman is missing, another one stands in for him/her. There was fierce competition during this championship and our victory was the result of our hard work. 

- How does it feel to be a champion?

- Gold medal and championship fills you with different sensations. As you know, I earned silver and bronze medals during past European championships. Coming second, when you are just a step away from the gold medal, does not make you particularly happy. I do not think that I have already achieved everything. There are still a lot of competitions ahead. I am very happy that I returned to Azerbaijan as a champion. Our country pays a lot of attention to athletics. The Federation is doing its best to develop this sport. Our international sporting achievements will encourage young people to take up this sport. 

- Who do you think is your main rival? 

- I would like to compete with Mohamed Farah from the UK next year. He is a very strong sportsman and I respect him very much. However, despite the fact that Farah has earned almost all the titles that there are and is a very experienced sportsman, we have equal chances for victory on the racing track.

- Do you know that your gold medal is the first in the history of Azerbaijani sport?

- After the games I was told that Azerbaijan had not had an European champion in athletics. The first championship is always remembered. I am very happy to know that my name will go down in history. This country provides all conditions for sportsmen to realize their potential. I believe I will score victory in other competitions in the future. I want to distinguish myself in the World Championship. My biggest dream is to score a medal in the summer Olympics.