Azerbaijani figure skater Nargiz Suleymanova has completed her season by competing at one of the major international events, the World Championships, where she represented the country in the women’s singles category.
This was the second World Championships appearance in her career. Unfortunately, she was unable to qualify for the final segment, the free skating programme.
In an interview with Idman.Biz, she shared her thoughts on the tournament.
“How would you assess your performance at the World Championships?”
“Overall, my performance was confident: there were good moments, but I also made a few mistakes. My emotions are mixed – I’m happy that I managed to perform at a high level even after an early mistake, but of course it’s disappointing that I couldn’t show my full potential. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every second on the ice, and I think that was visible throughout the programme. And of course, representing Azerbaijan is a great honour and pride for me.”
“You mentioned a mistake – you changed your planned combination afterwards...”
“Yes, during a performance you have to adapt quickly to the situation and make decisions on the spot to preserve the structure of the programme and execute it as cleanly as possible.”
At the World Championships, other Azerbaijani skaters, including Vladimir Litvintsev and the dance duo Samantra Ritter and Daniyel Brikalov, also competed.
“Yes, we know each other. Because of different schedules we don’t meet often, but we stay in touch and there is a very good atmosphere within the team. It’s nice to have people around you who support you.”
The Azerbaijan team also features promising young skater Arina Kalugina.
“I try to follow the performances of younger athletes. She has potential, and if she keeps working, she can significantly improve her results”.
Looking ahead to the next season, Suleymanova is already planning improvements.
“We are discussing new programmes. I plan to increase technical difficulty and work on consistency. The main goal is development and more confident performances”.
She also confirmed plans to visit Azerbaijan in the near future.
“I will try to come to Baku soon, maybe even next month. My grandmother and many relatives live there, so the city has a special place in my life. I love Baku – it gives me strength and inspiration”.
