Hakob Serobyan, the head coach of the Armenian artistic gymnastics team, has summed up their activity in 2019 at a meeting with journalists.

“Financially it was good that the last two tournaments followed each other. After the World Cup in Cottbus, me, Artur Davtan and Artur Avetisyan left for Penza where took part in the Voronin Cup. We always participate in the Voronin Cup which is a very good competition and is included in the international program.

In Cottbus our guys did their best. I always say we don’t demand what they can’t do. In general, I’m pleased with their results. It wasn’t important what position they would take. They only needed to fulfill their exercises and in the end we would see the results. The competition was severe because of the Olympic qualifications. I perceived that our chances were very small. If we had a champion there would be a point to go to the next cup in Melbourne while the other one is in Baku. We gave an opportunity to Artur Avetisyan who lived up our expectations and took the third place conceding slightly to an Olympic champion. I pin many hopes on him. Before the Olympic Games we still have three qualifying tournaments in Melbourne, Baku and Doha. We will take part only in the tournament in Doha. It’s already obvious we will have only one participant in the Olympic Games, Artur Davtyan. I thought so from the beginning. We had a chance in the rings exercise too but Artur Tovmasyan missed it.

There is one more chance in the European Championship where they give two qualifications to the all-around event but the championship will be held in Baku and we won’t join it.

Out young gymnasts miss a lot in connection with pensions and service in the sports regiment. It’s very upsetting because there was a chance to win one more Olympic qualification in the European Championship. The youth must wait till 2022 in order to show results for having a place in the sports regiment.

We are going to prepare seriously for the Olympics. It’s very likely than Artur Davtyan will also perform in the pommel horse exercise in the Olympic Games as in the Voronin Cup he had a successful participation. Now we are going to give Artur Davtyan some time to have a rest because he has a problem with his back,” the coach said.

Let us recall that Artur Davtyan is the only Armenian gymnast who has qualified for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and will fight there for medals in the vault event.