Idman.biz
Farid Gayibov, President of European Gymnastics, announced the results of the first quarter of the year for the organization.
Idman.Biz reports that Farid Gayibov stated that the new governing bodies of European Gymnastics have started operating since the beginning of the year.
"Over the next four years, the representatives elected at the Congress held last year will lead the discussions and make the necessary decisions for the development of our sport - both for today and for the future. Within this framework, the first Executive Committee meeting of the new era was held at the office in Lausanne. Balancing the experience of existing members with the involvement of new members, we discussed the "Strategy-2030" document adopted in the previous period and determined the next steps. We intend to improve the results achieved in four strategic directions - competitions, knowledge and protection, marketing and communication, organization and finance," said Farid Gayibov on the European Gymnastics website in the "President's Notes" section.
Farid Gayibov emphasized that gymnastics is returning to the European Games.
"One of the most interesting projects we are working on is the 2027 European Games. In this regard, I participated in the meeting of the European Olympic Committees in Istanbul. The host country Turkey and the local organizing committee are trying to provide the best conditions for gymnastics and are actively working on the final selection of competition venues and the program. At the Winter Olympic Games, we also met with Spiridon Capralos, President of the European Olympic Committees, and discussed the preparation issues. Everything looks promising, so mark the dates already: June 16–27, 2027!" he added.
F. Gayibov noted that the "World Gymnastics" organization, which was recently renamed, held its first Executive Committee meeting of this year in Las Vegas. During the meeting, a number of rules were updated, it was decided to hold the 2028 Aerobics World Championship in Egypt, and coaches and referees were awarded. At the same time, a new format of the mixed team final was presented at the "American Cup" tournament.
"This format is slightly different from the European model, but it was a great test before the Olympic Games," he said.
According to him, the development of parkour will also be carried out more actively from this year. The bodies of European Gymnastics have created a working group in this direction for 2026–2027, and it will be headed by Michel Boutard, former Vice President of European Gymnastics, member of the International Gymnastics Federation's parkour commission. Representatives from Austria, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal will be included in the group. The purpose of the group is to analyze the current state and potential of this type, as well as to prepare goals, budget and work plan for 2027–2029.
In addition, the organization is working on a documentary about a new competition format in rhythmic gymnastics - cross battle (a new competition format applied in rhythmic gymnastics - ed.). The film "Chasing Perfection: Inside the Crossbattle" will reflect the preparation of star gymnasts Sofia Raffaeli and Sofia Ivanova and their performance at the European Cup held in Baku last year.
Farid Gayibov also announced the upcoming competitions:
"The season for various types of gymnastics has already started with the World Cup stages, and we are looking forward to the start of our tournaments. The first competition will be the European Championship in trampoline and tumbling, which will be held on April 8-12 in Portimao, Portugal. For the first time, along with juniors and seniors, the category up to 21 years old will also perform here. Then, from April 30 to May 3, the European Cup stage in rhythmic gymnastics will be held in Baku, and the European Championship will be held in Varna at the end of May. As in 2021, the competitions will be held in the Palace of Culture and Sports, but this time there will be no COVID-19 restrictions, which will allow athletes and spectators to fully enjoy the competition atmosphere."
