Azerbaijan's sporting success and major events of 2024

Azerbaijan is becoming well-known around the world for its achievements in sports.

The country hosted several big sporting events, which gave it a chance to shine on the world stage. The year 2024 also saw many Azerbaijani athletes showing what they are capable of. According to Azernews,they competed with passion, aiming for medals and personal bests.

As we look back on this exciting year, let's talk about Azerbaijan's sporting accomplishments and the key events it hosted in 2024.

Azerbaijani athletes have achieved a total of 1,718 medals this year in European and World Championships, cup competitions, and other official international events, according to the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This is the highest number ever for Azerbaijani sports.

Out of these medals, 666 are gold, 465 are silver, and 587 are bronze. In Olympic sports, athletes earned 827 medals, while in non-Olympic sports, they won 854 medals, and in Paralympic sports, they secured 37 medals. The Ministry helped Azerbaijani athletes participate in 266 international competitions and 103 training camps during the year.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, 48 Azerbaijani athletes competed in 15 sports across 17 different events. They won a total of 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals, ranking 30th among 204 countries and setting a new Olympic record. Among European countries, Azerbaijan was 18th, and it was 3rd among Muslim nations.

The Azerbaijani National Paralympic Team consisted of 18 athletes at the Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, winning 11 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze).

Azerbaijan also took part in various multi-sport events such as the BRICS Sports Games in Kazan, Russia, the 8th Children of Asia Games in Yakutsk, Russia, the International Gymnasiade Sports Games in Bahrain, and the I World Corporate Games in Moscow, among others.

In 2024, Azerbaijan hosted several important international competitions, including the Chovgan World Championship, the European Championship in TeamGym, and the European Cup in Rhythmic Gymnastics. Other events included the Grand Slam in Judo, the European Olympic Qualification Tournament in Wrestling, and the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Competitions were also held in various regional cities, including the Khankandi-Baku Ultramarathon in Khankandi and the Vugar Hashimov Memorial International Chess Tournament in Shusha.

Baku was also presented as a candidate for the 2026 Sports Capital of the World and was selected for the honor by the European Capitals and Cities of Sports Federation.

In 2024, Azerbaijan organized 305 national and 79 international sports events, following the Ministry of Youth and Sports' approved calendar.

Several sporting events that encourage mass participation became popular in Azerbaijan. These include mini-football tournaments and popular races like the IV Run for Victory and the "Crossing the Kur" swimming race. In Guba, named the Sports Capital of 2024, 75 events attracted over 8,000 participants.

The "Healthy Life" project held 29 events in 15 regions, involving more than 7,000 people.

As Azerbaijan keeps working to support sports and involve the community, it is ready for even more success in the future.