‘She knows how I feel’: teamwork inspires Gadirova twins to the top

As Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova, Britain’s most promising young gymnasts, conduct their final preparations before their first Olympics, they say that their anticipation is further heightened by the possibility of finally getting to compete alongside Simone Biles.

“Just knowing she’s one of the greatest gymnasts of all time is just going to be shocking, and I’ll be speechless to see her, my jaw will be dropping like ‘oh my God she’s there,’ said Jessica in an interview with gathered media from Tokyo. “It’s going to be incredible to see her perform her amazing skills.

“I did think: ‘Wow we’ve actually worked hard and trained every day in the gym to be near enough the same level as Simone.’ To have that opportunity to be in the same high competition as her is just amazing.”

While Biles is still only 24, her dominance has lasted nearly half of their lives. But in recent years the 16 year-old twin sisters, born in Dublin to Azerbaijani parents, have shown that they have the potential to be leading gymnasts in the future. They cite their bond as one of their biggest strengths.

“It’s like someone being that extra motivator,” says Jennifer. “If you’re training on your own, having a bad day. You don’t have anyone really to talk to or express a feeling. But then having my sister there, she knows how I feel and what to do to help me feel better and be the best gymnast I can be.”

Twins qualifying for a four-person Olympic team is remarkable in itself, but their staggered arrivals have been particularly memorable. Jennifer first broke away with a statement debut at the American Cup in 2020, recording the highest score in three of the four events. As Jennifer recovered from some minor injuries, Jessica was a force at the European Championships this year, winning gold in the floor exercise, silver on vault and an all-around bronze medal.

Quick Guide

USA athlete tests positive for Covid

Show

An alternate athlete on the USA women’s gymnastics team has tested positive for Covid-19 in Japan four days before the opening ceremony.

The positive test had been announced by the city of Inzai, where the US women were training in leadup to the Games, and then confirmed by USA Gymnastics, who between them identified the gymnast as a teenager and replacement athlete on the USA team.

The alternate, and another identified as a close contact, are now isolating. But the main USA team, which include Simone Biles, have not been identified as close contacts and they have since moved into the Olympic village.

Tumaini Carayol

Thank you for your feedback.

“It’s different but it’s also nice to know that we are getting recognised for our gymnastics,” said Jessica. “At the moment, I don’t feel like it’s making me nervous. I feel like it’s quite exciting having all these people recognise us for our gymnastics. We just try not to let the pressure get to us. We just have to train hard, work hard and not focus about it too much.”

As in appearances, they are also similar gymnasts. They both thrive on vault, balance beam and floor while uneven bars remains a work in progress. They have a coveted combination of strengths: high difficulty, supreme amplitude on most of their skills and undeniable artistry. Both have debuted double twisting double backs on the floor that have the potential to one day be executed in a straight position, one of the toughest skills in the world. The ease and amplitude with which they execute their biggest skills suggests they have plenty of room for improvement.

According to Jessica, she will look for those upgrades in the future when time is on her side. But, for now, only this first Olympics matters: “A bit more followers, more recognition,” said Jessica. “I feel like it gave motivation between both of us, all our coaches to just work hard in the gym and just show everyone that we earned the right to be selected and show everything that we can do.”

source: theguardian.com