The Azerbaijan national shooting team won its first medals at the European Championship currently underway in Croatia. Azerbaijani athletes secured silver and bronze medals, with Sultanova playing a key role in both achievements. Together with Ruslan Lunev, she won silver in the mixed team event, while alongside Nigar Nasirova and Khana Aliyeva she earned bronze in the team competition.
In an interview with Idman.biz, Sultanova shared her impressions of the tournament.
– What are your emotions after winning two medals?
– I have endless emotions, thoughts and words right now. At this competition, I won medals in two disciplines and fulfilled the standard for Master of Sport — it was my dream and the goal I had been working toward for the last two years.
For the first time, together with Ruslan Lunev, we won a medal in the mixed team event at an international tournament. It was also my debut in the 25-meter duet discipline. We had a very tense final against the Czech team. It was a wonderful experience for us.
I continue learning and developing. At this European Championship, I experienced many “firsts,” which is why these medals will always hold a special place in my heart.
– Did you expect such a result before the European Championship?
– I never set a target for a specific number of points. I always have only one goal: to give my maximum effort during training in Baku and work hard, and then, on competition day, show my full potential, strength, courage and determination.
For me, it is extremely important to maintain proper technique, psychological stability and emotional balance — that is my main success and achievement. I love competing. And at tournaments, I push my only rival — myself — to become better than yesterday.
– How would you assess your performance in the individual events?
– At this tournament, I broke my personal record. In my first-ever 25-meter event, I missed the final by only three points. At the same time, I was satisfied with my technique.
I still have room to grow. To fully unlock my potential, I need to work and train even more. Support, time, international competitions and training camps are all very important.
– What is your next goal?
– In August, the European U23 Championship will take place in Poland, and I will also compete there. I will participate in three disciplines — 10m, 25m and 50m shooting events.
I enjoy developing in every direction and truly love the process. That is why this European Championship became a very important stage of preparation for me and gave me huge motivation. Before the next international event, we have training camps and a serious preparation process ahead.
