Idman.biz
The Azerbaijani national aerobic gymnastics team has departed for Ganja. It is here that the national team will spend the final stage of preparation before the European Championship, which will be held on November 14-16, and the European age group competitions, which will take place on November 9-11.
This competition is also an important event for Ganja - the city will host another major sporting event after the III CIS Games.
The head coach of the aerobic gymnastics team Marian Kolev gave an interview to Idman.biz about the upcoming goals and the team's preparation process.
- Two weeks left until the start. What is the level of the team's preparation for the final competition?
- We have been in Ganja for a few days now. The condition of the athletes is normal. We hope that these last weeks before the competition will be successful. The most important thing is that everyone is healthy and stays away from injuries.
- This is the first time that the European Championship in gymnastics will be held not in Baku, but in the region. Does this create additional excitement?
- The main thing for us is to do our job perfectly and achieve successful results. We know that the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, as always, will do everything possible to organize the competition at a high level. Therefore, we are all calm and from this point of view it does not matter for the team - we perform in Baku or in Ganja.
- One of the favorites in the European Championship is the pair of Vladimir Dolmatov and Madina Mustafayeva. Can they be considered the main candidates for "gold"?
- Considering their silver medals won at the World Championship and the World Games, yes, this pair can be attributed to the leaders. But there are very strong couples in Europe and the competition will be very serious. Everything depends on them - Vladimir and Madina must show their potential and perform perfectly. God willing, everything will turn out as we want.
- Can their performance at the World Games in Chengdu be compared with the World Championship? They were also second there, but was the competition tougher?
- These competitions are almost at the same level. Because the right to participate in the World Games is given only to those who are in the top three at the World Championship. That is why only the six strongest teams in the world competed in each type in Chengdu, and only four of them were able to reach the final. The competitions were very difficult and we are very happy that Dolmatov and Mustafayeva were able to win a medal. This result is extremely important, because the World Games are considered the Olympics for sports that are not included in the Olympic program.
- The team's composition has already been determined. What can we hope for in general?
- Yes, the team has been formed. We will be represented in individual performances, trio competitions and mixed doubles. We initially planned to participate in group competitions as well, but one of the athletes had a health problem. The team's last test was the tournament in Plovdiv, and now we are focusing all our attention on a successful performance in Ganja.
- How are the chances of our gymnasts assessed in the age group competitions?
- Currently, a team of teenagers under 15 and a group of 12-14 year olds are preparing for the start. Teenagers will perform in individual performances, both in the girls' and boys' categories, as well as in two trio compositions. Their preparation is going well and I hope for a good result. The competition will be very high, and besides, the children do not yet have enough experience in competitions of this level. But the "home factor" can work in their favor.
As for the 12-14 year olds, they have only been doing aerobics for a year or two. We hope that they will be able to perform their programs well and reach the final.
- What are your personal expectations?
- The most important thing for me is that all athletes are healthy and the preparation process goes successfully. The main thing is that in Ganja the team confidently presents the program that it has been working on all year. In this case, we will achieve all the goals set.
Zaki Feyzullayev
