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AUSTRIAN-BELGIAN-BELARUSIAN MEDALS’ RAIN

19 November 2007

AUSTRIAN-BELGIAN-BELARUSIAN MEDALS’ RAIN

Gymnasts’ medals from finals of Grand Prix from Austrian Innsbruck and awards from the international tournament in Belgian Ghent, pedestal places of acrobats from competitions in Belarusian Brest and results of Men Artistic Gymnastics Baku championship  – are in a review of a regular gymnastic week-end.
Let’s begin with Austrian competitions, where a gymnast from Azerbaijan, Aliya Garayeva, was honored with two bronze awards. After a successful performance in all-round (71.917 points), Aliya also took 3rd place in a final exercise with clubs. The European champion received from the judges 18.05 points, yielding to the Russians, Olga Kapranova and Vera Sessina. Garayeva took 4th place with rope, 7th place – with ribbon, 8th place – with hoop.
A second gymnast of the country, Anna Gurbanova, also took part in all four finals of Grand Prix. As Aliya, she showed her best result in composition with clubs, winning 5th place (17.1 points). In addition, Gurbanova was three times honored with 6th place - in all-round, with rope and ribbon and 7th place - with hoop.
Another gymnast, Nigar Mirzoyeva, took part in three finals of junior tournament, taking place in Innsbruck at the same time. She also took her best  place 5th ,but with hoop (22.175), two times 6th place (all-round, ribbon) and 7th place with ball.
The banner of Azerbaijan also fluttered on flagpole of arena in Ghent. In many respects, it was fostered by “bronze” performances of Zeynab Javadli with clubs and ribbon in finals. In all-round, she took 5th place after three Bulgarian and one Russian gymnasts.
A very young Ekaterina Prokopenko made a successful debut on the international arena, taking third place after gymnasts from Russia and Belarus. She also performed in all finals, presenting her exercises in a worthy manner.
As to Nigar Abdusalimova, a junior took 20th place among 73 competitors in all-round.
Certainly, Azerbaijan’s national anthem doesn’t often sound in Brest. So, it’s very pleasant that this great song was sounded in honor of our acrobats. Neither Russian nor Belarusian acrobats were able to oppose to woman’s pair, Ayla Akhmadova-Dilara Sultanova – gold medals and the first place!
A man’s group won “silver”. Rustam Nadjafguliyev, Ilham Abbasov, Elnur Mammadov and Farid Mammadov yielded to the Russian team by 0,1 points, but won a special prize “For the best composition”.
A man’s pair, Elchin Mammadov-Emil Yarakhmadov, took 4th place, and jumpers, Said Salimov and Khafiz Rzayev, had to content themselves with performances in finals.
At last, Baku gymnasts have defined their present champions. The best gymnast among master of sports became Elvin Agadadayev from MOIK, among candidates – Rashad Jafarli (Baku gymnastics school), and in the first rank, the first place was shared by Shamil Ismayilov and Yevgeniy Samarkin (both – Republican Olympic Sports Lysee).