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FIRST TESTING BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIP

16 August 2010

FIRST TESTING BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIP

As the World Championships in rhythmic gymnastics, which will start in a month in Moscow, is approaching, Azerbaijani sportswomen switched from “theory to practice”.

So, having completed their training camp lasted in picturesque Croatia for 2 months, our gymnasts set out for Budapest named as “small Paris” all over the world.

Aliya Garayeva, Anna Gurbanova and Samira Mustafayeva performed in the “Garantiqa Cup” international tournament. According to the coach of the Euro-2010’s bronze medalist Dinara Gimatova, her gymnast took the 4th place in the all-around after 3 Russian gymnasts. Gurbanova became the 8th, and Mustafayeva became the 11th.

“And this is not accidental,” the coach says. “We renewed the whole performance program for the World Championships during the training camp; we added to it complexity, and, at the same time, feminity. And we decided to “test” these exercises in the tournament in Hungary. Of course, not everything is so ideal in the execution, but we have the whole month and a couple of test tournaments before us. And the next one is the World Cup series in Italy in late August. I hope the peak form will be reached right by the start of the World Championships.”

As to the Azerbaijani group team, the girls continue their trainings in Bulgaria. The head coach of the national team Mariana Vasileva have also made some amendments to the compositions with 5 hoops and 3 ribbons / 2 ropes, with which the collective will perform at the World Championships. According to her, the event in Israel in early September where the premiere of the championship’s program to take place, will be the last test before Moscow.

And, though, Azerbaijani gymnasts are unfortunately not in the list of participants of the I Youth Olympic Games started in Singapore recently, our country will nevertheless be represented in the tournament of young gymnasts. Namely, a judge of international category Natalya Bulanova is included into the list of arbiters, who will judge the gymnasts performance at the Games.