Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and rope. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordinated. Rhythmic gymnastics is governed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FiG), which first recognized it as a sport in 1963. It became an Olympic sport in 1984, with an individual all-around event. The group all-around competition was added to the Olympics in 1996. At the international level, rhythmic gymnastics is a women-only sport. The most prestigious competitions, besides the Olympic Games, are the World Championships, World Games, European Championships, European Games, the World Cup Series and the Grand Prix Series. Gymnasts are judged on their artistry, execution of skills, and difficulty of skills, for which they gain points. They perform leaps, balances, and rotations along with handling the apparatus.
The Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships are the world championships for the sport of rhythmic gymnastics. The tournament is promoted and organized by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). It is one of the three tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics officially organized by FIG, as well as the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup and the gymnastics competitions at the Olympic Games. The first edition of the World Championships was held in 1963, a time when the sport was known as modern gymnastics. The current program of the World Championships contemplates both individual and group performances. In even non-Olympic years and the year before the Olympics, a team event is also contested. Two events are not competed at the World Championships anymore: individual rope and free hands.
The Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex is the main exhibition space of Baku, Azerbaijan. Named after a former President Heydar Aliyev, it is located on Tbilisi Avenue between Hyatt Hotel and Grand Hotel Europe. Since its opening in 1990, it held about 40 international competitions in different kinds of sports.
The 23rd Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships were held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 29 June to 1 July 2007.
European Gymnastics is one of five continental unions that represents the interests of Europe in the International Gymnastics Federation. It was formed on 27 March 1982 as the European Union of Gymnastics and adopted its current name on 1 April 2020.
Gymnastics is a popular sport in Azerbaijan.
Gymnastics competitions at the 2015 European Games were held in the National Gymnastics Arena, Baku between 15–21 June 2015.
Azerbaijan participated at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan from 12 to 28 June 2015. As host nation, Azerbaijan automatically receives a number in quota places in each sport, regardless of how they fare in the qualification.
The 30th Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships took place from June 10 to June 15, 2014 at the then newly opened National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. 33 participating federations with their juniors and seniors gymnasts participated at the event.
The 2017 Women's European Volleyball Championship was the 30th edition of the European Volleyball Championship, organised by Europe's governing volleyball body, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball. The tournament was co-hosted by Azerbaijan and Georgia, and was held between 22 September and 1 October 2017.
Marina Nekrasova is a Russian-born artistic gymnast who has represented Azerbaijan since 2013. She is the 2019 Summer Universiade vault champion. At the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, she won gold in the team event and silver medals on the vault and balance beam. She is also a three-time World Challenge Cup vault champion. She competed at the 2020 Olympic Games, making her the first woman artistic gymnast to represent Azerbaijan at the Olympic Games.
The National Gymnastics Arena is an indoor arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. The venue is mainly used for gymnastics.
The 2019 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships was the 35th edition of the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, which took place on 16–19 May 2019 at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Artistic gymnastics at the 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival are held at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 23 to 27 July 2019.
The 33rd European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held from 17 to 20 December 2020 in Mersin, Turkey. The competition was originally scheduled to be held from 30 April to 3 May 2020 in Paris, France, but it was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Baku, Azerbaijan was announced as the replacement host for 17 to 20 December, before the event was relocated to Mersin. Originally an Olympic qualifying event, the competition was undesignated as such in light of the ongoing pandemic, so as to avoid pressuring member federations to attend if they were not willing to do so.
Darya Sorokina is an Azerbaijani individual and group rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2022 World 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls bronze medalist. She is the 2020 European group all-around silver medalist and the 2022 European group all-around bronze medalist. She represented Azerbaijan at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Zeynab Hummatova is an Azerbaijani group rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2022 World 3 ribbons + 2 balls bronze medalist. She is the 2020 European group all-around silver medalist and 2022 European group all-around bronze medalist.
Laman Alimuradova is an Azerbaijani group rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2022 World 3 ribbons + 2 balls bronze medalist. She is the 2020 European group all-around silver medalist and 2022 European group all-around bronze medalist.
Yelyzaveta Luzan is a Ukrainian-born Azerbaijani rhythmic gymnast. As a member of the Azerbaijan group, she is the 2022 World 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls bronze medalist. She is the 2020 European group all-around silver medalist and 2022 European group all-around bronze medalist. She represented Azerbaijan at the 2020 Summer Olympics. As an individual, she represented Azerbaijan at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and won a gold medal in the mixed team event.
Narmina Samadova is an Azerbaijani rhythmic gymnast. She represented Azerbaijan at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the group all-around. As an individual, she competed at the 2019 Junior World Championships and the 2018 Junior European Championships.
Roman Semenov (RUS)
Antonio Papazov (BUL)
Hungary 
Turkey 
Romania 
Azerbaijan