An Azerbaijani group team was established four years ago. In January, 2005, there had been ten gymnasts during the review held jointly with Russian specialists, exercises’ director N. Lashinskaya and I. Bistrova. After long-lasting selecting period, the teams’ composition was defined and it was as follows: Anna Bitieva, Valeriya Yegay, Dina Gorina, Anastasiya Prasolova, Alina Trepina and Olesya Alenina. For the first time, these girls defended the sporting honor of Azerbaijan at the World Championships in rhythmic gymnastics held in Baku in October, 2005. At that time, the team reached the final with 5 ribbons and took the 8th place. But the team needed strengthening both within the team’s and coaches’ composition.

A prospective gymnast Vafa Huseynova, who had performed in the individual program, joined the team. And Natalya Dmitrova, invited from Russia, became the teams’ coach together with a local specialist Natalya Narimanova. And the collective’s main purpose was to reach the final of the forthcoming European Championships.

The girls were making progress with every tournament held. The team, created just a year before, became the winner of the “Miss Valentine” international tournament in 2006. It was the first great success achieved by them. Moreover, the team managed to take the lead over Olympic champions from Russia. Their next success was the bronze medals won at the World Cup series held in Nizhni Novgorod (Russia).

Finally, the time of Euro-2006 came. Moscow received the best European group teams and the Azerbaijani collective was among them. According to the all-around results, the group took the 7th place having reached the two finals. In one of them, our gymnasts became the 6th on the continent taking the lead over the strongest Israeli team. In addition, according to the World Cup series’ results, the group gained a right to take part in the final of the given tournament, where it took the 8th place.

2007 promised to be more saturated as teams competed for the license for the Olympic Games at the World Championships held in Patras (Greece).

“All the necessary conditions were created for our training, training camp and our participation in the large-scale international competitions,” a gymnast Vafa Huseynova recalls. “A new gymnast Anastasiya Makarova joined the team who was quick in the uptake. As a result, we managed to take the 10th place thus enabling Azerbaijan to take part in the Olympic Games with a group team for the first time.”
Participation in Beijing became the triumph of Azerbaijani rhythmic gymnastics. The team was headed by the most experienced specialist from Bulgaria, Mariana Vasileva. In a very short period of time, she reviewed the exercises, instilled in the team emulative spirit with leaders; disposed the gymnasts to achievement of purposes set with intensified trainings and discipline.

Having well performed at the European Championships in Turin (participation in 2 finals – 7 and 8th places) and having held pre-Olympic training camps in Masalli - one of the paradisiacal corners of Azerbaijan, the team was in peak form at the time of the Games’ start. The result exceeded the expectations. The team took the 7th place in the all-around final.

“Reaching the final by the group was a success in itself as the rivalry in our sports discipline is becoming acuter. I hope, during the next Olympic Games, our result will be better than it was,” Mariana Vasileva, the team’s head coach, said.

The Group's composition:

5 hoops	3 ribbons + 2 ropes
Vafa Huseynova	Vafa Huseynova
Valeriya Yegay	Valeriya Yegay
Dina Gorina	Dina Gorina
Stefani Trayanova	Stefani Trayanova
Jeyla Guliyeva	Anastasiya Prasolova

Music

5 hoops : “Nostradamus” by Maksim Mrvisa
3 ribbons + 2 ropes: "Just for you” by Giovanni Morandi

Music of both exercises has a certain nature. Each exercise has its own idea and it is intended to convey a certain story through it. The music was chosen to show that rhythmic gymnastics is not just a sports discipline but the sport which is very close to art.


Participation at the World Championships

Baku, 2005: Final - 5 ribbons: 8th place
Qualification  3 hoops + 2x2 clubs: 11th place
All around : 11th place

Patras, 2007: All-around: 10th place
Qualification 5 ropes : 10th place
Qualification 3 hoops + 2x2 clubs: 11th place