IWGA The World Games 2017
The World Games, organised by the International World Games Association (IWGA), is the second largest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympic Games. It offers an excellent platform to the FAI and its competitors to demonstrate the excitement of air sports in front of the world's media. The 2017 edition took place in Wroclaw, Poland, from 20 to 30 July.
Sixty-six international air sports athletes competed in three different air sports at the World Games in Poland from 20 to 23 July 2017.
Three disciplines of Air Sports saw gold medals awarded at The World Games in Wroclaw, Poland on Sunday evening.
Ferenc Toth (HUN) won Gold for Glider Aerobatics; Nick Batsch (USA) won Gold for Canopy Piloting; and Wojciech Bogdal (POL) won Gold in Paramotoring.
It followed three full days of Air Sports competition at The World Games, a large multi-sport event that takes place every four years. Held this year in Wroclaw, Poland, it featured 60 different sports and disciplines and 3,500 athletes. Air Sports was represented by Glider Aerobatics, Canopy Piloting and Paramotoring.
The FAI Media Team was there for the duration of the Air Sports events at The World Games and was posting to social media and the World Games website for air sports throughout the event.
Results
Glider aerobatics:
- Ferenc Toth (HUN)
- Luca Bertossio (ITA)
- Eugen Schaal (GER)
Parachuting Canopy Piloting:
- Nick Batsch (USA)
- Curt Bartholomew (USA)
- Cornelia Mihai (UAE)
Paramotoring:
- Wojciech Bogdal (POL)
- Kittiphop Phrommat (THA)
- Marcin Bernat (POL)
Air Sports in the programme of the Games
In Poland, the World Games featured three spectacular air sports that brought impressive action to the heart of the competition.
Glider Aerobatics is a test of a glider pilot’s ability to perform spectacular aerobatic manoeuvres within the boundaries of competition. Silent and graceful, the pilots aim to impress the judges with their precision and skill as they execute a pre-planned routine in a 1,000m aerial 'box' in the sky. Pilots must manage the glider’s speed, energy and position all while knowing exactly which way is up. Routines typically last three minutes and will see pilots pull up to 6G during the toughest manoeuvres.
Parachuting Canopy Piloting is one of the most spectacular disciplines in air sports. Relatively new, the idea is to test a parachutist’s ability to control their canopy accurately at high speed. After jumping out of the aircraft competitors spiral down towards the performance zone, a long stretch of water known as a 'swooping pond'. There, as they pass through the course across the swooping pond, they are scored on speed, accuracy and distance. In the Freestyle round scores are given for technical difficulty, presentation and landing. Stand by to be amazed.
Paramotoring (also known as powered paragliding) is one of the most accessible forms of flight there is. Flying a paraglider and using a back-mounted engine, pilots launch with a quick run from the ground to get into the air. In Poland pilots will compete over a series of five tasks that measure precision flying skills – from Accuracy Landing to Paramotor Football. Spectators looking for action should watch for pilots foot-dragging in the water and flying slalom. Clear prop, and start your engines!