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Ones to watch at Baku 2015 on June 18

18 June 2015 09:26 (UTC+04:00)
Ones to watch at Baku 2015 on June 18

1. Taekwondokas Cook up a storm
Taekwondo, from 09:00
Former British Taekwondo star Aaron Cook enters the men's -80kg as top seed, representing his newly adopted country of Moldova. He could meet his former teammate and London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Lutalo Muhammad in the semi-final in the late afternoon at Crystal Hall. If it comes to pass, expect a spicy showdown.

2. Grappling giant
Wrestling, from 10:00
Thursday will be the final day of the Baku 2015 Wrestling competition, and it brings with it a legend of the sport. The 2004 Olympic champion, Russia's Khadzhimurat Gatcalov, who is also a six-time world champion and three-time European champion, competes in the men’s freestyle 125kg category.

3. "Never say never"
Women's Table Tennis, from 11:00
At 51 years old, Ni Xia Lian of Luxembourg still plays with the spirit of a newcomer, and is enjoying the spotlight ahead of her next match on Thursday, against Ukraine's Margaryta Pesotska, in the women's singles third round. "I always say 'never say never'. I never imagined to be playing at this age. The federation (in Luxembourg) has been so good for me. They love me so much," said Ni. The women's third round starts at 11:00, in Baku Sports Hall. The men's singles third round is at 13:00, with the men's and women's singles quarter-finals scheduled for the evening session, from 17:00 to 21:00.

4. Stars to have a blast
Shooting, from 11:00
Thursday is another big day at the Baku Shooting Centre, with a star-studded field contesting the first-ever mixed team trap event. Olympic champion Jessica Rossi teams up with Olympic silver medallist Massimo Fabbrizi to form the Italian team, while Spain's Alberto Fernandez joins the new European Games women's trap champion, Fatima Galvez. World champion Katrin Quoos of Germany will be eager to find form after failing to qualify for the women's trap final, and Alessandra Perilli, who finished in fourth place at the London 2012 Olympic Games, teams up with Sammarinese compatriot Manuel Mancini, as they aim to repeat the success of her sister, Arianna, who won silver on Tuesday in the women's trap.

The men's 50m rifle prone looks equally promising, with all the London 2012 medallists competing: champion Sergei Martynov of Belarus, silver medallist Lionel Cox from Belgium, and Slovakia's eight-time Olympian and London bronze medal winner Rajmond Debevec, who also won gold in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions at the Sydney 2000 Games.

5. Going for gold (again)
Gymnastics, 17:30
Top qualifier Aliya Mustafina of Russia tumbles towards another gold in the women’s Artistic Gymnastics individual all-around final at National Gymnastics Arena. Mustafina already has one gold medal in the bag, which she won in the team competition.

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