"We worked hard for a long time to prepare for this day."
These words were said by Mishel Aniskina, one of the winners of the Azerbaijan Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship, in an interview with Idman.Biz.
"I am happy to have taken first place among so many competitors. I was just a little nervous. I enjoyed my performance with the ball the most. I performed very well," she said.
Aniskina wants to work harder to continue winning high places.
Amina Novruzova, a twelve-year-old who won among teenagers born in 2013, also shared her feelings about the performance:
"I was disappointed after the first competition (with clubs). I was hoping for better results. I made a mistake with the ribbon, but then I pulled myself together and did everything right."
Amina has been doing gymnastics for six years. She dreams of competing in the European and World Championships, and her idols are Daria Vorfolomeev (Germany), Meital Sumkin (Israel) and Vladislava Sharonova (Russia).
Another winner of the National Championship, 14-year-old Azada Atakishiyeva, is critical of herself when evaluating her performances. However, her coach believes that she did not make any mistakes today.
"Even though there were some mistakes, I really enjoyed performing today. There is always room for improvement," said Azada.
The gymnast noted that she receives support from her coach, mother and other athletes: "Some were sitting in the stands, and some were in the training room. I don't look at the stands when I perform; I focus on myself, but I still feel the support."
Atakishiyeva has been doing sports for ten years: "At the age of four, I watched videos of performances by adult athletes and imitated them. My parents saw this and enrolled me in gymnastics. Now my goal is to participate in international competitions. I want to represent my country with honor abroad."
