A rowing slalom team from St. Petersburg will hone their skills on the river Bzip, the Gagra district, Abkhazia, until March 30. According to a coach Natalia Rogova, the decision to train in Abkhazia and prepare for future competitions was based on the experience of her colleague, Nadezhda Kostyleva, who herself trained on the river Bzip in 1988.

Rowing slalom is a discipline of kayaking and canoeing, in which athletes overcome a certain distance in the fastest time possible. The St. Petersburg team consists of 12 athletes between the ages of eight and 22.

The first training took place on a calm section of the river, near the sea, on March 19. The second training session was carried out in an area with a more turbulent stream. According to Rogova, the river Bzip is of a professional level for this sport and creates a useful experience for the athletes to compete in Europe, in channels similar to this river. Nine-time Russian champion Kostyleva, whose successful career was the result of her training on the Bzip River, who visited Abkhazia two years ago, said that despite the cold river and inconvenient conditions such as the lack of hotels and food outlets nearby, young people enjoy training in Abkhazia.

The Gagra Rescue Service ensure the safety of the rowing team. Six rescuers were directly at the training site, at the confluence of the Rivers of Gega and Bzip, on March 20.