Coaching staff
Who prepares the team
Luka Gabrilo
He has led the squad since October 2025. He began his career in Switzerland, where between 2010 and 2017 he served the Swiss Swimming Federation as team manager, head coach and head of the High Performance Centre. He then became head coach of the Israeli national team and one of the delegation leaders at the Tokyo Games, and led “Team Iron” in the ISL.
Pierre Lafontaine
A Canadian specialist and well-known expert in long-term athlete development models. He leads the work on Azerbaijan's national swimming strategy for 2025–2036.
Goran Sablić
Responsible for the preparation of the water polo squad and for the sporting side of youth festivals.
Rashad Abdurahmanov
For twelve years he was head coach of the national swimming team and is a professor at the Azerbaijan Sports Academy. He contributed greatly to finding young talent and developing the national squad.
Athletes
The core of the squad
Suleyman Ismayilzada
In 2025 he competed at the World Championships in Singapore over 400 m (4:01.33) and 1500 m (15:45.63). In August 2026, at the senior European Championships in Paris, he set a personal best of 8:04.28 in the 800 m freestyle and finished 21st of 35 swimmers. He was 17 at the time.
Ramil Valizada
In 2024 he represented Azerbaijan at the World Championships in Doha in the 100 and 200 metres butterfly; in 2025 in Singapore he recorded 55.53 over 100 m and 2:02.14 over 200 m butterfly.
Timur Nikiforov
In August 2026 he won silver in the 1500 m freestyle at the “Ganja Cup 2026” and, raising his World Aquatics ranking to 554 points, was called up to the U-18 national team.
The youth pipeline
In July 2026 our swimmers returned from a tournament in Georgia with 29 medals and took podium places at events in Sofia and Minsk. The youth pipeline is the federation's key long-term resource.
Suleyman Ismayilzada
Freestyle · 400, 800, 1500 mRecent results
2026: selected performances
- August 2026 · Paris
- European Championships: Suleyman Ismayilzada, personal best of 8:04.28 in the 800 m freestyle.
- August 2026 · Ganja
- “Ganja Cup 2026”: international status for the first time, with teams from Belarus and Georgia.
- July 2026 · Kutaisi
- Our swimmers won 29 medals at the tournament in Georgia.
- July 2026 · Sofia
- Four medals brought home, including a silver.
- July 2026 · Minsk
- Our athlete claimed a bronze award.
- July 2026 · Baku
- International experience in the format of the European Aquatics junior swimming championships.