Baku on November 4 opened the world championship in firefighting and rescue sport, held for the 21st time among men and the 12th time among women. The event is jointly organised by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations and the International Firefighters’ and Rescuers’ Sport Federation.
The firefighting and rescue sport world championship opened with a ceremony in Baku on November 4. Azerbaijan’s Minister of Emergency Situations, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, attended along with International Firefighters’ and Rescuers’ Sport Federation President Alexander Chuprian and Russia’s Minister of Emergency Situations, Colonel General Alexander Kurenkov.
Guests at the ceremony included Belarus’s Minister of Emergency Situations, Major General of Internal Service Vadim Sinyavsky, and Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations, Colonel Sanjar Zuparov. Kyrgyzstan was represented by Deputy Minister, Colonel Almazbek Asanov, while the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee was represented by Vice-President Chingiz Huseynzade and Secretary General Azer Aliyev. Team delegations from the federation’s member countries, judges and invited guests also took part.
The event opened with a parade of the teams, followed by the national anthem of Azerbaijan and the federation’s anthem. In his address, Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov said the modern sports infrastructure Azerbaijan has built up in recent years has made the country a reliable host for major international competitions. He added that the championship in Baku would contribute significantly to the development of firefighting and rescue sport and to the exchange of experience between countries.
Federation President Alexander Chuprian, federation director Andrei Kalinin and chief judge Alexander Klitonchik thanked the organisers in their remarks. The championship was then formally declared open, followed by an arts programme.
First day of competition
The opening day featured the hook-ladder climb. In the men’s climb to the fourth floor, Dmitry Grebenshchikov of Russia took first place, followed by Zelimkhan Kubayev of Russia in second and Stanislav Titorenko of Russia in third.
In the women’s climb to the second floor, Maria Kataseva of Russia won gold. Aleksandra Lasenkova of Belarus took silver, while Yekaterina Sidorenko of Russia claimed bronze. Kamaladdin Heydarov and Alexander Chuprian presented the medals, with the national anthems of the winning countries played during the ceremony.
Over the course of the firefighting and rescue sport world championship, athletes will compete in four disciplines: the hook-ladder climb to the second and fourth floors of the training tower, the 100-metre obstacle course, the 4×100-metre firefighting relay, and the combat deployment event.
