Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation announces country's best gymnasts' names

The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) has announced the names of the best gymnasts for 2023.

The first place in the ranking was taken by the bronze medalist of the European Championship, four-time silver and bronze medalist of the Summer Universiade, and holder of a licence for the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024, Zohra Agamirova, Azernews reports.

Second place goes to the group exercise team consisting of Gullu Agalarzade, Lyaman Alimuradova, Kamilla Aliyeva, Zeinab Gummatova, Elizaveta Luzan, and Daria Sorokina, who won bronze at the World Championships, gold and triple bronze at the European Championships. The team is also a two-time gold and silver medalist of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games.

The national gymnastics team consisting of Govhar Ibrahimova, Sakinakhanim Ismailzade, Medina Aslanova, Ilaha Bahadurova, Ayan Sadigova and Zahra Jafarova, which became a three-time bronze medalist at the World Championships, is in 3rd place.

Silver medalist of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, World Cup winner, artistic gymnast Nikita Simonov, took 4th place. Silver medalists of the World Championship and three-time gold medalists of the European Championship in mixed doubles in acrobatic gymnastics, Agasif Ragimov and Razia Seidli took 5th place. Two-time world champion Mikhail Malkin (tumbling) is in 6th place.

The men's acrobatic gymnastics pair Daniel Abbasov and Murad Rafiev, who became two-time bronze medalists at the World Championships and three-time gold medalists at the European Championships, secured the 7th place. Gymnast Nazanin Teymurova was awarded 8th place in the ranking.

Tumblingists Adil Hajizadeh and Tofiq Aliyev, who won the team event at the World Championships, shared 9th and 10th places, respectively.

Founded in 1956, the Azerbaijani Gymnastics Federation comprises seven gymnastics disciplines recognised by the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG).

The federation has been experiencing a revival since 2002. The restructured federation has brought gymnastics to a completely new level. The high-level organisation of the gymnastics events did not remain unnoticed.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has included the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) in the list of meritorious federations.

For many years, the AGF has been included in the FIG list of the Top 10 gymnastics federations.

From 2014 to 2019, the Azerbaijani Gymnastics Federation was included in the list of FIG's 10 strongest federations, and for the last three years, it has topped the list.