The international gymnastics season continues in Baku. A few weeks ago, the World Cup in trampoline and tumbling took place in the capital, and now it’s time for the gymnastics World Cup in artistic gymnastics, featuring athletes from 19 countries.
As is customary, the National Gymnastics Arena remains one of the main venues for top athletes competing in various gymnastics disciplines, Idman.biz reports.
World stars are always eager to perform here, and this World Cup is no exception. One athlete to note is Oksana Chusovitina.
The legendary gymnast, who holds the unique record of participating in eight consecutive Olympic Games, has earned a place in the Guinness World Records. The 49-year-old sports icon has competed multiple times in Baku and has consistently stood on the podium. Naturally, she is once again vying for a medal.
The competition in Baku marks the beginning of a new Olympic era. New rules have come into effect, reducing the number of difficulty elements in most apparatus from 10 to 8. This means gymnasts are testing new routines with the latest updates.
The first test of these new rules came at the World Cup in Cottbus, Germany, where our team opened its medal account. Nikita Simonov took the silver medal in the rings event. Now, the European champion hopes to further solidify his success in Baku, where he has been on the podium multiple times. Although the previous World Cup was not successful for Simonov, his desire to perform well this time around is likely to be stronger.
The series stands out for showcasing athletes’ skills on different apparatus. This means that the best gymnasts in each discipline will perform in Baku, increasing the competition’s appeal. Additionally, among the participants are World Championship and Olympic medalists. Some of them were victorious in Baku last year. For instance, Steven Nedorošič of the USA took first place in pommel horse and later won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in that same event. As usual, Japan and China have sent strong teams as well.
In short, the World Cup is expected to be a highly competitive event, benefiting both the participants and the audience.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
