SPORTS
Baku to host World Challenge Cup 2016 AGF Trophy
Baku, February 2, AZERTAC
The World Challenge Cup 2016 AGF Trophy will be held in Baku on February 19-21.
The competitions will be held at the National Gymnastics Arena hosted six gymnastics disciplines during Baku 2015 First European Games.
In general, there are 146 participants within the delegations representing 19 countries at the event. 46 men and 22 women gymnasts will compete for medals in Apparatus Finals of the World Challenge Cup.
World-known and favourite gymnasts such as three-time World Champion (Floor & Team Competition) Kenzo Shirai (Japan), bronze medalist of the World Championships on Pommel Horse Kaya Kazuma (Japan), two-time silver medalist (All-Around, Parallel Bars) of the Olympic Games Marcel Nguyen (Germany), European Floor Champion Alexander Shatilov (Israel) and others will make happy the spectators with their thrilling performances.
As for famous women gymnasts of the competitions, there are Olympic (Team Competition), World (Floor, Vault & Team Competition) and European Champion (Vault) Oksana Chusovitina (Uzbekistan), Youth Olympic Games Floor Champion Flavia Lopes Saraiva (Brazil) and tree-time gold medalist (Vault & Floor) of the World Cup series Dorina Boeczoego (Hungary).
Certainly, bronze medalist of the World Championships on Parallel Bars, only Azerbaijani athlete won five medals at the Baku 2015 First European Games Oleg Stepko, as well as his team-mate Petro Pakhnyuk, who became a bronze medalist in team competition together, are in the list of favourites.
In Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Competitions, Azerbaijan is represented by silver medalist (Uneven Bars) of the FIG World Challenge Cup in Artistic Gymnastics Kristina Pravdina, as well as by Marina Nekrasova, Yuliya Inshina and Mariia Smirnova.
Qualifications both among men and women on the first two days of the competitions to be followed by Apparatus Finals on the last day.
There is an opportunity for the spectators to be a part of various contests and enjoy entertaining flash mobs in the course of the event.