Head coach: Azerbaijan to compete for medals at FIG World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics
Azerbaijani athletes will compete for medals at the upcoming FIG
World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics in Baku, Vladimir Shulikin, head
coach of the Azerbaijani national team in trampoline gymnastics,
told Trend March 2.
He said that the gymnasts have not reached their athletic peak yet
as this is the first competition in 2016.
"I estimate the readiness of Azerbaijani athletes by 70-80 percent.
The main thing now is to reach the athletic peak in a month during
the European Championship in Trampoline, Double Mini-Trampoline and
Tumbling in Valladolid, Spain.”
“This is one of the most important competitions in 2016,” he said.
“The athletes have been already selected, and we will get to
work.”
Shulikin said that the FIG World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics to be
held in Baku will be a rather impressive tournament.
"In my opinion, all the strongest athletes have arrived,” he said.
“The athletes from China and Canada could not come. All the rest
strong European countries, Japan, Australia, US, Russia and Belarus
are represented by leading athletes. Strong competition is
expected, and we will compete.”
“Among male gymnasts, our team leader, Ilya Grishunin, can compete
for medals,” he said. “Grishunin and Oleg Piunov can show good
results in synchronized exercises. But I reiterate that the
athletic peak has not been achieved yet. It is necessary to wait
for the result in the European Men's Artistic Gymnastics
Championships."
He said that all athletes like the new design of the National
Gymnastics Arena in Baku.
"Nothing bothers us during preparations, since we're at home. The
athletes from other countries have only positive emotions.
Everything is perfectly conducted at the level of the World Cup
Gymnastics, even the Olympic Games. Everyone, who has arrived in
Baku, is very pleased. I think everybody will be pleased.”
Shulikin said that among male gymnasts the Azerbaijani team will be
represented at the upcoming European championship by Ilya
Grishunin, Oleg Piunov, Ruslan Agamirov and Dmitriy Fedorovskiy
(who will compete in the double mini-trampoline competitions - a
separate type of trampoline jumping) and Mikhail Malkin, who will
take part in tumbling competitions.
"Among female gymnasts, the team will be represented by Svetlana
Makshtarova and Sabina Zaitseva, who will perform in individual and
synchronized competitions,” he said. “So a rather big team will
participate.”
“A team championship will be also held,” he said. “If we advance to
the final, this will be a great success.”
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