After a ten-day break, rhythmic gymnastics stars have once again gathered in Baku.
Following the World Cup, the National Gymnastics Arena is now hosting another major event — the European Cup. This tournament stands out with its exciting and unique rules, adding extra intrigue to the competition.
The European Cup’s history began last year in Baku and continues again this year in the Azerbaijani capital, Idman.biz reports.
Several prominent gymnasts who competed in Baku at the World Cup have returned for this event. Among them are Sofia Raffaeli, the all-around champion of the World Cup, and fellow Italian Tara Dragaš, who claimed bronze in the ribbon routine here. Also worth noting is Ukraine’s Taisiia Onofriichuk, the most decorated gymnast of the Baku World Cup leg — she won gold with the hoop, silver in the all-around, ball, and ribbon, and bronze with clubs, making her one of the top contenders.
Last year, the European Cup brought together athletes from several continents, with participants from Australia, the USA, and South Korea. This time, gymnasts from Costa Rica, Egypt, India, and Uzbekistan have joined the competition. In total, 175 gymnasts from 25 countries will compete.
The tournament has an interesting format: after the all-around qualification, the top 16 gymnasts will face off in a Cross Battle final round. According to the rules, the first-ranked gymnast will meet the 16th-ranked; the second will face the 15th, and so on. In this playoff-style stage, the gymnasts will compete in just one apparatus to determine the winner.
There will be no separate apparatus finals — all medals will be awarded based on the all-around results. The group routines will also be contested in the Cross Battle stage. For Azerbaijan’s team, this will be the first big test of the season, making it especially exciting for local fans.
The tournament’s prize pool of €45,000 is another highlight. The Cross Battle champion will take home €6,000, while the top group will earn €10,000.
Azerbaijan is fielding a large squad. In the senior individual program, Govhar Ibrahimova and Zohra Jafarova will compete, while in the juniors, Şams Ağahüseynova, Azada Atakişiyeva, and Fidan Gurbanli will take part.
The senior group includes Laman Alimuradova, Darya Sorokina, Yelyzaveta Luzan, Gullu Aghalarzada, Kamilla Aliyeva, and Sofiya Mammadova. The junior group team features Nazrin Abdullayeva, Ayan Nasirova, Nazrin Salmanli, İlaha Bahadırova, Shams Muvaffagi, and Nilufar Orujlu.
Notably, the European Cup has been extended by one day compared to last year. Baku is set for four days of rhythmic gymnastics celebration, where the stars will shine brightly.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
