FIG expert: Azerbaijan rapidly become one of most advanced countries in rhythmic gymnastics
By Sara Israfilbayova
Director of FIG Education and Academy Programs, Hardy Fink told reporters that the level of coaching skills in Azerbaijan, especially in rhythmic gymnastics, has grown rapidly in recent years.
“Over the past 10 years, Azerbaijan has rapidly become one of the most advanced countries in rhythmic gymnastics, and conditions have been created for the development of rhythmic gymnastics that are not available in other countries. I have not seen such conditions in other countries - a large number of carpets, all necessary equipment for gymnasts,” Fink pointed out.
He went on to say that the courses will help coaches better understand the anatomy and physiology of the athletes, prevent mistakes that may occur in the early stages of training.
The history of foundation and development of rhythmic gymnastics in Azerbaijan dates back to the 40th of the last century. A significant revival began to be felt in this sports discipline after First Lady Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva was elected the President of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation in October 2002.
Performing at the 2003 World Championships in Budapest, Azerbaijani gymnast Dinara Gimatova for the first time in the history of the national rhythmic gymnastics qualified for the Olympic Games in Athens 2004. However, serious injury prevented her performance at the Olympics and Anna Gurbanova replaced her.
For the first time in the history of the country Aliya Garayeva became the champion of Europe, performing with a rope at the 2007 European Championships.
The capital is hosting another significant sporting meeting. Coaching courses of the highest – third level, organized by experts of the Academy of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for local coaches kicked off in Baku on January 9.
The courses cover such topics as sports medicine, psychology and the prevention of sports injuries. In total, 22 coaches are taking part in the courses, which will last until January 15.
Earlier, Baku also hosted FIG courses of the first and second levels.
FIG is the governing body of competitive gymnastics. Its headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was founded on July 23, 1881, in Liège, Belgium, making it the world’s oldest existing international sports organization.
The federation sets the rules, known as the Code of Points that regulate how gymnasts’ performances are evaluated.
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