Air Sports Set to Shine at The World Games

The World Games 2017 opened in spectacular style in the city of Wroclaw, Poland on Thursday night, 20 July 2017, with an opening ceremony of light, sound and music in front of 35,000 people.

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach formally opened the Games from the centre of the stage in a packed Wroclaw stadium. “Athletes, now is your time to shine!” he said to huge applause.

Held under the patronage of the IOC, The World Games are held every four years, but are for sports or disciplines that are not in the Olympic Games. This year the 10th World Games will feature some 4,000 competitors from 100 nations across 60 different sports and disciplines.

Three air sports are represented: Paramotoring (17 pilots); Glider Aerobatics (11 pilots); and Canopy Piloting (Swooping) (36 skydivers).

The air sports athletes joined their colleagues in the opening ceremony, which saw each country’s athletes and competitors parade through the stadium behind flag bearers, all set to a stunning sound and light show.

The biggest cheers were reserved for the home nation Team Poland, which saw its scores of athletes parade in red and white to applause from every corner.

After all the athletes had taken their seats, IOC President Thomas Bach (pictured below) officially opened The World Games.

He said: “The next 10 days will be a celebration of the diversity of sport and its values. The World Games are a confirmation of the power of sport to unite all people. In sport, everyone is equal, no matter who you are, or where you come from. Sport brings people together.

Addressing the athletes directly he said: “You are the best ambassadors of your countries. Now it is your time to shine. Make the most of this unique experience. Give it your best, and always remember to believe in the spirit of excellence, respect and fair play. Because being a true champion is about so much more than winning.”

This drew the biggest applause and loudest cheers of the night.

Pilots and skydivers will be competing for prestigious World Games gold medals in their respective disciplines over the next three days.

The air sports competitions take place from 20-23 July 2017 at Szymanow Airfield in Wroclaw, Poland. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are full competition days, with Monday held over in case of poor weather.

All three air sports are based at the airfield, with a big screen and dedicated seating making it accessible to spectators. About 1,000 people are expected to attend on each of the three competition days.

The official programme of events at The World Games, including air sports events, starts on Friday 20 July 2017.

The air sports events at The World Games will be covered on the FAI social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Instagram – as well as with daily reports here on The World Games for air sports events.

Photo credit: FAI / Marcus King