Radoslaw Walczak: other countries can learn from Baku to organize gymnastic competitions

As always conditions in Baku and Azerbaijan as a whole are excellent, the head coach of Poland's trampoline team Radoslaw Walczak said, speaking to the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza in anticipation of the FIG World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics and Tumbling in Baku, which will start on Saturday.

"It's not our second or even third time here. For example, we arrived in Baku for the First European Games, and the Baku World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics is our second. It is always great in Azerbaijan, in Baku, we love to come here. We really like the National gymnastics arena - it is the best hall in the world, and other countries can learn from Baku to organize gymnastic competitions," Walczak stressed.

According to the coach's expectations, a gymnast Artur Zakrzewski will be a Polish favorite at this World Cup. "We expect that Arthur will get to the final, we'll see what happens next. This year there are very strong athletes at the Cup, each of them is well prepared. The most serious contenders are the Belarusians and, probably, the Russians. The British team is also very strong," he said, adding that Poland will be represented in the tournament by a renewed composition: now it also includes the women's team of two gymnasts (Magdalena Switalski and Mikhalina Volcheshevska) and two new male gymnasts (Lukas Jaworski and Dominique Figlyak).

Radoslaw Walczak is also interested in the way of applying the new rules for trampoline jumping. "It is the first competition of the new Olympic cycle. The rules have changed, and it is good that they changed the movement on the grid. I think that it will improve the new scoring system," he said.

The new Olympic cycle’s first World Cup in Trampoline Gymnastics and Tumbling will take place at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku on February 18-19. 85 trampoline and tumbling gymnasts from 15 countries will take part in the competitions on the basis of the new Code of Points coming into force in 2017. The qualifications will take place on February 18, finals will be held on February 19.