SILVER DOUBLE

On April 8-12, Portimao, Portugal hosted the European championship in trampoline gymnastics and tumbling. Azerbaijan was represented by 23 gymnasts across junior and senior age categories.

Among the successful

Following the qualification stage in trampoline gymnastics, Seljan Mahmudova, Maqsud Mahmudov, Nijat Mirzayev, Huseyn Abbasov, Ammar Bakhshaliyev, and Farhad Mustafayev advanced to the semifinals and finals of the individual programme.

In team competitions, the junior final included Farhad Mustafayev, Omer Gasymly, Muhammed Hasanli, and Ammar Bakhshaliyev, while the senior final featured Maqsud Mahmudov, Huseyn Abbasov, Ali Niftaliyev, and Mehdi Aliyev. Their performance secured 4th place for the seniors.

Azerbaijani gymnasts were among the most successful participants at the championship, reaching 13 out of 16 possible finals. This tournament marked a historic moment for Azerbaijani gymnastics. For the first time, our athletes reached the final stage in the team event for trampoline gymnastics both among juniors and seniors, as well as among juniors in the double mini-trampoline discipline.

Mikhail Malkin, Tofiq Aliyev, Adil Hajizade, and Alexei Karataev secured a place in the tumbling team final. Additionally, Mikhail Malkin and Tofiq Aliyev qualified for the individual final. In a fierce contest, the team deservedly won the silver medal, bringing the Azerbaijani flag one step closer to the top.

New chapters in gymnastics

The gymnasts who passed qualification competed in semifinals and finals across various categories. In the individual trampoline event, Seljan Mahmudova finished 4th with a score of 56.550, while Maqsud Mahmudov placed 6th with 60.080 points.

In team events, both the junior and senior Azerbaijani teams reached the final. The senior team delivered a strong performance to finish 4th. The junior double mini-trampoline team, reaching the final for the first time, opened a new chapter in Azerbaijan’s gymnastics history. Moreover, Ammar Bakhshaliyev participated in the final stage of the individual programme.

In tumbling, Tofik Aliyev (29.300 points) claimed the silver medal at the European championships. This marks his second consecutive silver at European championships.

Intense competition

Undoubtedly, higher results were expected from the tumbling team. Specifically, it was anticipated that team leader Mikhail Malkin would at least finish among the top three medallists. The world and European champion explained missing out on a medal as follows:

“We prepared very well for the continental championship. However, at the European championships not everything went as I wanted. I had chances to win silver. But together with my coach Adil Huseynzade, we decided to take a risk and perform a more difficult element in pursuit of gold. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I will try to perform better and achieve more in upcoming competitions,” shared Mikhail Malkin.

Silver medallist Tofiq Aliyev said he was satisfied with his achievement. The athlete, who has finished second two years running at European championships, believes he needs to work harder:

“The competition took place at a very high level. I only believed I would make the top four after the last – eighth – competitor performed. Everything went well in the final four, but I couldn’t fully realise my plan. This is my second consecutive silver at European championships (he also placed second in 2024 — R+). I am satisfied with the result,” said Tofiq Aliyev.

“In 2024,” he also noted, “judges scored my performance at 25.500 points. This time I was second with 29.300 points. These figures show how strong the competition was. I need to work even harder to improve further. I would also like to point out that in Portugal the tumbling track is different. In Baku we train on a track made by another company that is widespread in most countries worldwide. The differences in length and softness of the Portuguese track inevitably affected our performance.”

It is worth noting that trampoline gymnastics includes individual and synchronized exercises for men and women on trampoline, double mini-trampoline, as well as acrobatic tumbling track (tumbling). Of these disciplines, only individual trampoline is included in the Olympic Games programme.

The Azerbaijani national team for trampoline gymnastics and tumbling will participate in the world championships scheduled for November in China.