SHAHDAGH’S SNOWY TEST

From March 4 to 8, Azerbaijan hosted the European Ski Mountaineering Championships for the first time. Alongside the continental championship, a World Cup stage was also held in Gusar during the same days. The competition saw the participation of teams from many countries, as well as athletes competing under a neutral status.

The European Championships and the World Cup stage were organised jointly by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, the Winter Sports Federation of Azerbaijan and the Shahdagh Tourism Centre.

Consolatory results

Azerbaijan was represented by five athletes: Nazrin Garibova, Nabiulla Galabagiyev, Anid Sultanov, Abel Ismikhanov and Nurid Shakaraliyev. Unfortunately, they were unable to reach the podium.

Among senior women, the gold medal went to Sarah Dreier (Austria), silver to Giulia Murada (Italy) and bronze to Caroline Ulrich (Switzerland). Among senior men, the winner was Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland), second place went to Aurélien Gay (Switzerland) and third to Christof Hochenwarter (Austria).

The performance of Nurid Shakaraliyev, who finished fifth in both the vertical race and the sprint in the under‑18 category at the European Championships, can be considered satisfactory. He himself said that he has been doing ski mountaineering for only a year: “For the first five months, I simply learned to ski properly, and only after that did I start descending and climbing. The competition in Shahdagh was the second tournament of my career. Last month, at the Türkiye Open Sprint Cup in Kayseri, I won a silver medal. This time I came fifth. My goal was to finish among the medallists. I understand that I need to train much more. As a member of the national team, I aim to win medals at the World and European Championships.”

Our love for this sport was instilled in us by the national team’s head coach, Philippe Gayet. He taught me and the other guys from our district everything from scratch. He is a true mentor and supports us in everything—both in sport and outside it. Even in matters of nutrition. Now we know exactly what diet is needed for the best results.”

Special attention to the development of winter sports

At the Shahdagh Tourism Centre, which meets international standards, winter sports competitions are planned to be held in the future as well. The Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, Farid Gayibov, answering questions from journalists, emphasised the high level of organisation of the European Championships:

“On the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, great attention is being paid to the development of winter sports. For instance, last year the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex hosted the Junior Grand Prix in figure skating. As before, our calendar is full of winter sports competitions. It is especially gratifying that our country is now represented not by athletes invited from abroad, but by local sportspeople, and their results are quite good.”

The European Ski Mountaineering Championships in Shahdagh are of great importance for popularising this sport in the country. It is also worth noting that the Azerbaijani national team consisted entirely of local athletes. The participation of young representatives in the European Championships will allow them to gain experience and compete successfully in the future.

Competitions postponed

The next international tournaments scheduled to take place in Gusar will not go ahead. The Mogul World Cup final in ski freestyle has been cancelled. During preparations, it became clear that the conditions for hosting competitions of this level did not fully meet the required standards and could not guarantee the necessary quality of the course or the competitive atmosphere. In addition, certain logistical factors, including temporary restrictions on operations at some regional airports, also played a part.

Although Azerbaijan was fully ready to host the competition, the priorities for both the country and the International Ski Federation remain holding the tournament in the most favourable conditions possible and ensuring the highest level of convenience for athletes, teams and spectators. As a result, a joint decision was made to postpone the Mogul World Cup final until the next winter season.