GOLD OF GANJA

From November 14 to 16, the ancient city of Ganja once again hosted a major sporting event. The 14th European Aerobic Gymnastics Championships for adults took place here successfully. Over the course of three days, 151 gymnasts from 18 countries participated in the competition. The athletes competed in various categories, including individual routines, mixed pairs, trios, groups, and aerobics dance.

At the end of the second qualification day, the team awards ceremony was held. Italy took first place, Romania second, and Spain third. Based on the qualification results, gymnasts earned spots in the final. Among them was the Azerbaijani mixed pair—Medina Mustafayeva and Vladimir Dolmatov.

On the final day, spectators witnessed performances by the top gymnasts. Following the completed routines, new European champions were crowned. Our strongest pair, Medina Mustafayeva and Vladimir Dolmatov, delivered a brilliant performance and were awarded the gold medal and the title of European champions.

Secrets of success

The head coach of the aerobic gymnastics national team, Marian Kolev, highly praised the duo's skill and highlighted the significance of this victory: "First of all, I want to thank Ganja and its residents. Before the championship, the team trained precisely in this city. During this period, all necessary conditions for work were provided. I consider winning the highest award at the championship a great achievement. The training was very tough, but the result made us forget about fatigue. The team is happy. We won the first gold medal of the European Championships in Ganja. And we will never forget this victory."

Gold medallist Vladimir Dolmatov emphasized that hard work was the key to success: "We prepared first in Baku and then in Ganja. Our goal was to win gold at the European Championships. The competition was strong, but the team was ready for challenges. This medal will have a special place in my collection — every athlete dreams of becoming number one in Europe."

Medina Mustafayeva, who also became a European champion, shared her emotions: "I am immensely happy. We had many difficult days, injuries, pain... We already had medals at the World Championships, but here — our first European medal, and it’s gold. Thanks to everyone who supported us," said the gymnast.

"Golden" results from Pamplona

It is worth noting that the European Championships were held in parallel with the Ganja tournament in Pamplona, Spain, which hosted the World Championships in trampoline and tumbling. The Azerbaijani national team won two medals there—one gold and one bronze.

National team members Mikhail Malkin, Tofiq Aliyev, Adil Hajizade, and Bilal Gurbanov performed excellently and became world champions in the team competition. Their combined individual scores reached 172.100 points, confirming once again their status as the best.

Another medal came from athletes competing in trampoline events. In the synchronized program, Seljan Maqsudova and Maqsud Maqsudov scored 50.070 points and took third place, becoming bronze medallists at the world championship.

Additionally, Seljan Maqsudova ranked among the world's top five in the individual program.