SIX CUP MEDALS

The National Gymnastics Arena will host a series of international competitions in 2026. The first such event was a stage of the World Cup in Trampoline and Tumbling. A total of 66 gymnasts from six countries took part in the event.

Azerbaijani favourites

The athletes showcased their exceptional skills in a range of events, including individual, synchronised and mixed synchronised categories. The qualifying round took place on the first day, with the finals on the second, which made for a livelier atmosphere in the arena. The Azerbaijani gymnasts' appearance attracted particular interest, and they were greeted with thunderous applause from the spectators.

Azerbaijan finished the World Cup with a total of six medals. In the individual trampoline gymnastics event, Seljan Maqsudova won the silver medal. In the mixed synchronised event, the duo of Maqsud Maqsudov and Seljan Maqsudova won the gold medal. In the women's synchronised event, the pair of Seljan Maqsudova and Shafiga Humbatova won the bronze medal. In the men's synchronised event, the duo of Huseyn Abbasov and Maqsud Maqsudov were awarded the bronze medal.

In the tumbling competition, Azerbaijani gymnasts dominated, with Mikhail Malkin taking gold and Tofig Aliyev nabbing silver. The AGF Trophy was awarded to the athletes who scored the highest points in the qualifying round. Mikhail Malkin was the winner.

The World Cup tumbling stage concluded with a resounding victory for the Azerbaijani athletes. Their status as favourites is confirmed by their positions on the podium. The gold medal won by World and European champion Mikhail Malkin and the silver medal won by two-time world champion Tofig Aliyev are clear evidence of the level of development of this sport in Azerbaijan.

When the coach is pleased

Both of these decorated athletes are students of Adil Huseynzade, head coach of the national team. In an interview with Region Plus, Adil Huseynzade expressed his satisfaction with his team:

"All my students are very important to me. Who came first and who came second is irrelevant. The bottom line is that we've got the gold and silver medals. In tumbling, every member of the national team is a medal contender. Although they weren't among the medallists this time, I would like to mention Bilal Gurbanov and Adil Hajizade. All our athletes have considerable experience," said Huseynzade.

Azerbaijani gymnast Mikhail Malkin is determined to achieve a good result at the European Championships. He shared his thoughts on winning the tournament:

"This was my first competition of the year. I didn't get off to a great start last year, so I prepared very seriously. I had some psychological issues. I'm working on that now. I got my act together and won the gold medal. In a month, we will be participating in the European Championships. I will perform well there too."

Tofiq Aliyev, winner of the World Team Tumbling Championships, played it safe to avoid missing out on a medal. The silver medallist stated that he had maintained the lead right up until his final routine:

"My muscles were undoubtedly under a great deal of strain by the last attempt. I didn't take any risks. I was determined not to end up without a medal on home soil. That's why I didn't complicate the routine. I did everything I could and won the silver medal. I could have won gold too. The judges' final decision was that I bent my legs during the transition element. I lost 0.6 points for that. I was thrilled that my teammate Malkin won the gold medal. He has as much sporting experience as I have years. This is the first time we've stood on the podium together. We have been waiting a long time for this moment, and today it has finally arrived. We are going to perform successfully in both the team and individual events at the European Championships."

Seljan Maqsudova, a member of the Azerbaijani trampoline gymnastics team who won three medals at the World Cup, said that the new rules had affected her performance:

"The individual qualifying round was quite difficult for me. I know I can do better. I am not entirely satisfied with myself on that respect. But the main thing is that I won three medals. It is clear that changes to the rules of trampoline gymnastics will not go unnoticed. It is an undeniable fact that the rules undergo changes after every Olympic Games. We apply the International Gymnastics Federation's rules without exception. For example, there used to be compulsory and optional routines; now they are all called optional. We will perform the desired combination twice, and the best result will count."

Seljan Maqsudova is set on competing in the 2028 Olympic Games: "When I competed in the Olympics in Paris two years ago, I was very nervous. Securing a place at the 2028 Olympic Games is my top priority. This is a vital part of our trampoline gymnastics training. Securing a place at the Paris Olympics was a historic achievement for our country's sport. My main dream is to get an Olympic medal."