FANTASTIC RESULT

Azerbaijani acrobatic athletes made history by successfully competing at the World Championships held on September 19-22 in Guimarães, Portugal. They won a total of 8 medals, including four gold, which can be regarded as a remarkable achievement.

On the first day of the competition, Azerbaijani gymnasts secured second place in the team competition. The top position in the final ranking went to the representatives from China, while Israel took third place. The men's pair of Murad Rafiyev and Daniel Abbasov, the mixed pair of Aghasif Rahimov and Raziya Seyidli, as well as the men's group consisting of Seymur Jafarov, Rasul Seyidli, Riad Safarov, and Abdullah Al-Mashayhi were awarded silver medals following their successful performances.

The second day of the tournament was also fruitful and historic for Azerbaijan—our athletes won three gold medals in a single day. The Rafiyev-Abbasov pair excelled twice, claiming victory in the mixed exercise program with a score of 28.500 points. They achieved a similar result in the balance exercises with 28.540 points.

Another gold medal in balance exercises was earned by the mixed pair of Rahimov-Seyidli, who scored 28.730 points to reach the top step of the podium. The men's group of Seymur Jafarov, Rasul Seyidli, Riad Safarov, and Abdullah Al-Mashayhi also came close to medals in the balance exercise but unfortunately finished in fifth place with a score of 27.650.

On the final day of the championship, athletes from Azerbaijan continued their victorious journey and demonstrated that they are rightfully considered favourites in this sport. In the final, the Rahimov-Seyidli pair reached the podium twice: first, they were awarded the gold medal–the fourth highest honour for the team at the World Championships – and subsequently, they claimed a bronze medal after delivering an impressive performance in the tempo exercise competition. The duo of Daniel Abbasov and Murad Rafiyev also performed admirably in the final, scoring 27.420 points in the tempo exercises to earn a bronze medal.

In the last final competition, the Azerbaijani men's team comprising Riyad Safarov, Rasul Seyidli, Seymur Jafarov, and Abdullah Al-Mashayhi secured third place in the tempo exercise and received the bronze medal. Consequently, Azerbaijan concluded the World Championships with 4 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

World Games in Chengdu

Parallel to this event, the World Aerobic Gymnastics Championship was held in Pesaro, Italy, from September 27 to 29. The mixed pair of Vladimir Dolmatov and Medina Mustafayeva earned a silver medal. After scoring 20.050 points in the qualification round for their routine, they advanced to the final where they improved their result to 20.300 points. This achievement marked the first time Azerbaijani representatives became silver medallists. Dolmatov and Mustafayeva outperformed duets from Brazil, Ukraine, Italy, Romania, and China, with athletes from Japan taking first place. Their silver medal grants the Azerbaijani pair a spot at the World Games, which will take place from August 7 to 17, 2025, in Chengdu (China).

Baku On Focus Again

It is worth noting that Baku is once again becoming a focal point for gymnastics enthusiasts. From October 16 to 19, the capital will host the European TeamGym Championship for the first time. This non-Olympic type of team competition is part of European gymnastics and includes performances on three apparatuses: TeamGym carpet, acrobatic track, and trampoline (small trampoline). Each apparatus requires effective teamwork and flawless technique in executing complex acrobatic and gymnastic elements. Three teams will participate in the competition: women's, men's, and mixed teams.

The best teams from across Europe will compete for the championship title at the National Gymnastics Arena. Athletes from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Austria, Estonia, Finland, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, and, of course, the host team are expected to compete. A total of 498 athletes will arrive in Baku; among them are 230 juniors and the remainder adults. The verdict on who truly masters their craft will be determined by 28 judges.