An Azerbaijani gymnast Aliya Garayeva has become the winner of the international tournament “Narodni Dom” held in Ljubljana.

According to the press service of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, the European champion (2007) received 100.125 points in the all-around. She gave her best results in exercises with a ball having received 25.875 points, as well as with a rope (25.65) and a hoop (25.25).

“My performance with a ribbon is not as good as with other apparatus,” Aliya says with a disappointment in her voice. There is a new program, new elements which are difficult to master. For this reason, I have received 23.35 points for my performance with a ribbon. But I promise to improve it by the European Championships to be held in Baku.”

It should be mentioned that 15 gymnasts were competing in the Slovenian capital only in the all-around. The second place was taken by a Russian Aleksandra Yermakova, the third place – Svetlana Rudalova from Belarus.

The tournament is a traditional and was held for the 22nd time. There were times when such well-know gymnasts as Olympic champions – of 1996 Yekaterina Serebryanskaya (Ukraine), 2000 –Yuliya Barsukova (Russia), 2004 – Alina Kabayeva (Russia) and 2008 – Yevgeniya Kanayeva (Russia) had been performing and becoming winners there.

On the threshold of the Euro-2009, the next tournament for Azerbaijani gymnasts will be the Grand Prix series in Thiais. Aliya Garayeva, together with Anna Gurbanova will take part there on March 28-29.