The flying gymnasts are kicking off the new season as the Trampoline and Tumbling World Cup, featuring some of the most famous stars, will begin tomorrow in Baku.
Idman.biz reports that among the participants will be medalists from the latest Olympic Games, including Ivan Litvinovich and Viyaleta Bardzilovskaya, who will compete under the neutral flag.
The first stage of the World Cup, hosted at the National Gymnastics Arena, will involve five countries and is the first stop on the road to the final stage in Antibes, France, in October. Other stages will be held in Riccione (Italy), Coimbra (Portugal), and Varna (Bulgaria).
With the exception of Varna, all stages of the World Cup will feature Olympic disciplines, including men's and women's trampoline, tumbling, and synchronized double-mini trampoline. A new event—mixed synchro trampoline—will make its debut in Baku.
The best athletes in all trampoline events will not only compete for medals but also for World Cup ranking points. These points will be tallied, and at the end of the series, the best athletes in each event will be awarded. For many, the World Cup serves as a stepping stone to the World Championship in Pamplona, Spain, scheduled for November.
The tournament in Baku will begin on February 22 with qualification rounds across all categories at the National Gymnastics Arena. The top eight athletes from each category (with a maximum of two athletes per country in each event) will qualify for the finals on Sunday.
Among the men, the main favorite is Litvinovich, who intends to compete in the upcoming Olympic cycle. Recent junior stars Andrey Buylov, Sebastjan Stankevič, and Stanislav Yaskevič are expected to challenge him. Ryusei Nishioka (Japan), the bronze medalist at the 2023 World Championship, is also a contender for the podium.
In the women’s event, Seljan Mahsudova will aim for a place on the podium once again. The Olympian has previously won silver and bronze medals at World Cup events in Baku. Her main competitors include Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya, a silver medalist at the Summer Olympics, and two-time World Champion Mori Hikaru (Japan).
The tumbling competition will also feature a large number of participants, including Azerbaijani athletes Tofig Aliyev and Adil Hajizada.
In total, more than 80 gymnasts from 14 countries will compete in the event.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
