The Shooting star award goes to … Norina Froehlich (SUI) and Aghasif Rahimov (AZE)

At the conclusion of the 2025 European Championships in Acrobatic Gymnastics in Luxembourg, Aida Shaliyeva, Project Manager of our global partner SmartScoring presented the SmartScoring Shooting star award to Switzerland’s Norina Froehlich and Azerbaijan’s Aghasif Rahimov.

Started in 2018, this award aims to put a gymnast with an exceptional story in the spotlight, someone who is an inspiration for the future generation of gymnasts and the general public alike.

At just 18 years old, Norina Froehlich is already making waves on the world stage. Last year, she made history as the first athlete from Switzerland to reach a final at the Acro World Championships. A rocky path led her there: in 2021 Norina had to leave the cantonal training center due to the travel time and lack of compatibility with school and work. She actually left acrobatics completely. In 2022, by chance, a cantonal programme for acrobatic gymnastics was created in her hometown St. Gallen and Norina was invited to join. In 2023, she was set to compete at the European Championships, but a last-minute injury to her partner meant she had to sit out. Instead of letting the setback define her, she used it as fuel to come back stronger. For the past three years, Norina has balanced an elite training schedule with a demanding apprenticeship—juggling work, study, and high-performance sport with unshakable commitment and drive. Since August she is officially working as a dental practice assistant, managing a 35 hours workweek plus 25 hours of training. A story of resilience, grit, and passion, Norina is a true role model for young athletes, a symbol of what dedication and heart can achieve.

For Aghasif Rahimov, it all started at the European Age Group Competitions in Germany back in 2015, where he competed alongside Nurjan Jabbarli in the Mixed Pair category, earning a bronze medal.
Since then Rahimov participated in each edition of the European Age Group Competitions / Europeans, except in 2019 when he was doing his military service. Making a strong comeback in 2021 with a new partner, Raziya Seyidli, the pair has gone from strength to strength, culminating in triple victory at the previous Europeans in Varna (BUL), a remarkable feat. Now competing in his fifth and final European Championships, he is set to conclude his athletic career after the upcoming World Games. A true team player, Rahimov is an inspiration in the Azerbaijani acro community. He provides tremendous support to his teammates, celebrating their victories, offering advice and a helping hand when needed. In fact, he’s back training with good friends Seymur Jafarov and Abdulla Al-Mashaykhi since their comeback to form part of Azerbaijan’s first men’s group. And not just in acro Rahimov is an encouraging figure: alongside his busy training and competition schedule, he’s committed to coaching a great variety of skills to kids in Gymnastics for All.