The World Championships in artistic gymnastics have started in the capital of Great Britain, where Azerbaijan is represented by Shakir Shikhaliyev.

According to the press service of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, our sportsman has already performed in the all-around qualification. He received 79,05 points in total and took the 47th place among 74 all-rounders. 243 gymnasts in all were taking part in the tournament.

Shakir gave his best result in a vault where he received 15,475 points.

Shikhaliyev making his debut at the World Championships achieved a great progress. It is enough to mention that the representative of Azerbaijan Sabuhi Aslanov took the 143rd place at the planet’s last championship. Moreover, in comparison with the European Championships in Milan, Shakir himself has improved his result by 2 points, and it is regarded as a great achievement by specialists.

It should be mentioned that the competitions of the World Championships are being held on “The O2” arena, put into operation in summer of 2007 and constructed for the London Olympiad-2012. During the games, the competitions in gymnastics and basketball will be held on “The O2”. So, Shakir Shikhaliyev has nearly become the first Azerbaijani sportsman who performed at London Olympic facility. By the way, tickets for the present world championships are quite expensive. For example, in order to watch the final, 60 pound sterling shall be paid. For comparison it should be noted that tickets for the famous Madame Tussaud’s wax museum and sail along the Thames, are sold for 25-35 pounds.

Anatoly Yarmovsky, the coach of the Azerbaijani gymnast Shakir Shikhaliyev, highly appreciated the performances of our sportsman at the World Championships in London.

“Shakir has performed well”, Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation makes a quotation from the words of Yarmovsky. “Certainly, he could have given a better result, but a lack of experience hindered. For example, Shakir performed with faults in floor exercises and in exercises on the rings. But our sportsman has a great potential. He has to work further in order to demonstrate better performance at the forthcoming World Cup in Stuttgart.”

An Olympic champion of Barcelona-1992, Valery Belenky, coming from Baku is contended with the performances of Azerbaijani gymnast Shakir Shikhaliyev at the World Championships in London.

We would like to mention that Shakir is training in Stuttgart (Germany) in the hall of Valery Belenky, and that the Olympic champion with pleasure shared his impressions on our sportsman’s performances with the press service of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation.

“Shakir has considerably improved his points, and this means that he is growing up,” Valery Belenky stated. Shakir will take part in new competitions where he has to retain his present results and to advance further. We will prepare new elements for the next year’s tournaments. I think execution of new elements will enable our sportsman to take higher places.”

“And the progress achieved by the gymnast Shakir Shikhaliyev certainly makes us glad,” he emphasized.