As a process of preparation for the Olympic Games in Beijing, Azerbaijani gymnasts Aliya Garayeva, Dinara Gimatova, Anna Gurbanova and Zeynab Javadli are in a training camp in Croatia. It should be mentioned that Garayeva and Gimatova are the holders of precious permit for the Olympic Games in PRC, while Gurbanova and Javadli are officially presented as two reserve gymnasts.

Trainings, which will last till July 11, will be held in Dubrovnik – the most majestic and splendid Croatian city called “the Adriatic’s pearl”. Along with Venice and Amsterdam, it is also included by UNESCO in the group of three most beautiful towns-monuments of Europe of the Renaissance period.

According to the team’s coaches, the main emphasis will be put on perfection of the gymnasts’ Olympic program during the trainings. “These trainings, which also imply control sparring, will be held jointly with Russian gymnasts,” the tutors stated.

Only Anna Gurbanova will take a short time-out during the training camp in Croatia. The fact is that, she and one more junior Saida Abdullayeva (born in 1993) will take part in the “Trofeo Cariprato” international tournament. Annual competitions will be held in Prato, Italy, on June 20-22.

On the threshold of the main Games of the four years, an Azerbaijani team in group exercises is also in the training camp. Five main members of the group (Vafa Huseynova, Anna Bitieva, Valeriya Egay, Alina Trepina and Anastasiya Prasolova), as well as reserve gymnasts (Dina Gorina and Leyla Shamilova) will train in Bulgaria till the end of July.

According to Mariana Vasileva, the collective’s coach, pre-Olympic trainings will be held in the world-famous “Levski” club in Sophia. “The exercise with 3 hoops/4 clubs will be absolutely new, we will learn and train it. We are going to revise it not due to its weakness, but it is just a time to do it. As to the composition with 5 ropes presented in the European Championships in Turin recently, certainly, there are places that need to be improved. I am sure that everybody will like our new performance in Beijing,” she said.

A quartet of young Azerbaijani gymnasts (Bahar Asgarova - born in 1997, Aynur Mustafayeva - born in 1998, Naida Ahmadli - born in 1999 and Laman Goyushova - born in 2000) will also leave for Bulgaria, not to the training camp in Sofia but to the Alegro Cup tournament to be held in Targovishte on June 21-22.