TUMBLING CONQUERS THE WORLD

A member of Azerbaijan’s national tumbling team, Tofig Aliyev, has become one of the brightest stars of 2025. He won a World Cup stage in France, earning a gold medal, and gained worldwide fame after the World Games in Chengdu, China, where he performed a unique element that brought him silver and international recognition. We met with Tofig Aliyev to talk about his career, the most challenging elements, and his biggest dream.

"How did your journey into gymnastics begin?"

"My path in sport began with tumbling itself. As a child, I was full of energy, and when I turned four, my mother took me to coach Sahib Sultanov. Over time, I began to show promising results and eventually joined the national team. With the team, I won gold medals at the World and European Championships in team events and a silver medal at the European Championship in individual competition."

"Recently, you won the World Cup series. It seems you’ve now collected every major title at this level?"

"Winning the final stage and becoming the overall series champion was an incredible feeling. Throughout the season, I performed consistently at the stages in Baku, Coimbra, and Antibes, achieving strong results that helped me top the overall ranking. The final stage in France was especially significant — victory there secured my first place in the standings."

"But your real fame came after the World Games in Chengdu, where you performed an extraordinary element and won silver..."

"Everything I had once seen in my dreams became reality. About three months before the competition, I dreamed of this element. The next day, I told my assistant coach, Raghib Aliyev, about it, and we decided to give it a try. The head coach was at a meeting at the time.

"The first attempt failed, but on the second try, I managed to land on my feet. Later, when I qualified for the final at the World Games, I thought, ‘Why not?’ When I told my coach, he initially thought I was joking. Even my teammates didn’t know that I was planning to perform it. A triple somersault with a triple twist is one of the most complex combinations in tumbling. I was the first in the world to execute it. Although it was risky, I have no regrets — that element brought me the silver medal."

"Were you disappointed not to win gold?"

"No, I simply didn’t score enough points for first place. But even with silver, it was me people talked about, not the champion. Many TV channels still show that performance, commenting on the difficulty of the element."

"Would you say that element made you famous?"

"I’m not even sure what to say. The video of my jump went viral around the world. It was shared hundreds of thousands of times on social media. Now, at every competition, people come up to me to congratulate me — all because of that element. It’s extremely difficult, and I doubt anyone will be able to repeat it in the coming years."

"Since you were the first to perform it, will the element be named after you?"

"Those discussions are indeed taking place. The Technical Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation is considering whether to register the element under my name. In gymnastics, it’s a long-standing tradition that when an athlete performs a new element for the first time, it’s named after them and goes down in history forever."

"Was there an athlete who inspired you to take up tumbling?"

"There were many. I’ve always tried to learn the best qualities from different gymnasts. As a child, I was inspired by Mikhail Malkin, our world and European champion. Later, I even competed alongside him on the national team. He’s an incredibly talented athlete."

"After your performance, many people suggested that tumbling should be included in the Olympic programme. Would you like that?"

"That’s my greatest dream. After the performance in Chengdu, everyone was talking about including tumbling in the Olympic Games. We compete at the same tournaments and in the same venues as trampoline gymnasts, but only they are represented at the Olympics. I haven’t lost hope — I truly believe that one day I’ll have the chance to represent Azerbaijan at the Olympic Games."

"What gave you the courage to attempt that famous element?"

"I suppose it was my character. Otherwise, I could never have turned a dream into reality."

"What’s your next goal?"

"Who knows, maybe I’ll dream up something unusual again," (laughs). "I don’t believe I’ve reached my limit with that element. Perhaps soon I’ll be able to surprise everyone again. I already have a few ideas in mind and am working on them.

"As for my career goals, I’m aiming for gold in the individual events at the European and World Championships and then to repeat those successes. I want to see the words ‘two-time’ and ‘three-time champion’ before my name. I hope fate gives me the strength to make those dreams come true."