The year 2023 can be called another historic year of achievements for the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF). This year was memorable for both the gymnastics competitions held in our country and the successes of our gymnasts.

Members of our national teams representing various gymnastics disciplines delighted us with their outstanding results.

In 2023, Azerbaijan hosted six international-level competitions in different gymnastics disciplines, the 1st Baku International "Challenge" in Gymnastics for All, as well as several national championships and tournaments.

The competition season kicked off with the traditional World Cups. It is gratifying that our gymnasts achieved successful results in each international competition held in our country.

The first international event of the year was the Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup, organized in February at the National Gymnastics Arena. At this competition, national team member Seljan Mahsudova won a bronze medal.

In March, Azerbaijan hosted another World Cup in Artistic Gymnastics. This competition, which will be remembered for Nikita Simonov's gold medal, also set a record for the number of participating countries in the history of World Cups held in Azerbaijan—48 countries and 173 gymnasts.

In April, our capital successfully hosted another international event. The “AGF Trophy” international tournament, organized for the third time in Azerbaijan, brought together 119 gymnasts from 14 countries. The Azerbaijani team secured 14 medals across both junior and senior age categories.

That same month, another international competition in Azerbaijan was the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup, featuring 135 gymnasts from 40 countries. Our national team secured two bronze medals in the group exercises.

The most prestigious gymnastics competition held in Azerbaijan in 2023 was the 39th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship. Azerbaijan, which had previously successfully hosted two World Championships and four European Championships in this discipline, once again proved itself as an excellent organizer by hosting this year’s European Championship under the slogan "Shine Like a Star."

The competition, which brought together 315 gymnasts from 38 countries over five days, was a historic success for Azerbaijani gymnasts. Our graceful athletes won five medals (one gold and four bronze) at the European Championships. The senior group exercises team won the first-ever gold medal in Azerbaijan's gymnastics history at a European Championship. Another medal triumph was achieved by individual gymnast Zohra Agamirova, who became the first Azerbaijani gymnast from the Baku gymnastics school to win a medal at a European Championship.

It is also worth highlighting the performances of our young gymnasts. The junior group exercise team won two bronze medals, marking a historic achievement as the first Azerbaijani team to win medals in two different routines at a European Championship.

In June, Azerbaijan hosted the 1st Baku International "Challenge" in Gymnastics for All, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. This event featured 46 teams and 446 participants, who delighted the residents of Baku with vibrant and engaging performances. Azerbaijani gymnasts were joined by teams from Lithuania (“Little Autumn”) and Georgia (“Dio Dance”).

The next stop for gymnasts in the fall was the city of Nakhchivan, known for its ancient history and rich culture. In September, Nakhchivan hosted the "Grace of Nature" international rhythmic gymnastics tournament for the first time, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

A significant milestone in Azerbaijan's gymnastics development was also celebrated in 2023: "Ocaq Sport" Club, which has played a major role in training elite athletes and developing gymnastics disciplines in Azerbaijan, marked its 10th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, the club organized the second international “Ocaq Cup” in Rhythmic Gymnastics at the National Gymnastics Arena. The large and warm gymnastics family of "Ocaq Sport" commemorated its 10th anniversary with a spectacular gymnastics show in early December.

Throughout the year, members of our national gymnastics teams not only competed in international tournaments and World Cups but also brought joy with their results at major events such as the European and World Championships, the Summer World University Games, and the 2nd CIS Games.

In April, at the 34th International Grand Prix in Thiais, France, our rhythmic gymnasts won one gold, four silver, and one bronze medal.

In June, at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin, Germany, rhythmic gymnast Mehriban Taghiyeva made history by winning one gold and three bronze medals.

In July, at the 2nd Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, our junior group exercises team won three bronze medals, marking another historic first for Azerbaijan.

That same month, at the 31st Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China, rhythmic gymnast Zohra Agamirova won two silver and one bronze medal.

In July, Azerbaijan’s Gymnastics for All team, “Flame,” participated in the 17th World Gymnaestrada in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This event, held every four years, brought together nearly 19,000 participants from 56 countries.

In August, at the 2nd CIS Games in Minsk, Belarus, our junior group exercises team won three bronze medals.

Also in August, at the 40th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Valencia, Spain—a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics—Azerbaijan’s representative, European Championship bronze medalist and multi-time silver and bronze medalist of the Summer Universiade, Zohra Agamirova, finished 12th in the all-around qualification and secured a quota for Paris 2024.

October was another remarkable month for Azerbaijani gymnastics. At the 31st European Acrobatic Gymnastics Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, Azerbaijani athletes achieved a record-breaking result, winning seven gold and two silver medals.

For the first time in Azerbaijan’s gymnastics history, our representatives won the title of European Champion in both the senior mixed pairs and men’s pairs categories. In this competition, our young gymnasts also demonstrated their talent by securing medals.

Happy New Year!