1st FAI WISC, Prague, Czech Republic, 21-24 October 2015 - Medals and Awards Ceremony

Sunday, 25th October - Leaving Day

Sarka   -   Jiri (Meet Director)    -    Zanita

Like everything else at this competition, the Prize Giving and Award Ceremony was well organised and enjoyed by all - even before the party started. There were many sleepy people making their way to the airport this morning! The Awards Ceremony started with Jiri Blaska threatening to give the speech he had prepared for the Opening Ceremony, then he realised he had forgotten something and brought both Sarka and Zanita to the stage to huge applause, to say Thank You.

Regan Tetlow, who amazingly could still talk after keeping everyone informed during both long days on the LiveStream TV - along with Dommey Kieger, MC'd the Awards Ceremony.

It commenced with an award given to the best junior performance which had been judged by a top athlete from the Czech Republic, unconnected to Skydiving. This was accepted by one of the Russian competitors on behalf of the Russian junior who was not there for the Closing Ceremony. Medals were then given to the two Junior 4-Way teams who had competed in a Demonstration Event. Both were from the Czech Republic.

Then we moved to the first of the official awards to the Artistic Events Freestyle winners, first the Junior and then the Senior.

Freestyle Junior

Poland - Gold

Poland - Silver  - Poland - Gold -  France- Bronze

Freestyle

Gold - Finland

Silver - Norway   -             Gold Finland   -       Bronze - Russia

We then moved on to the Formation Skydiving awards:

Vertical Formation Skydiving

Gold - France
Silver - Russia	Bronze - Poland

4-Way Female

Gold - USA
Silver - France	Bronze - Great Britain

4-Way Open

Gold - Belgium
Silver - Russia	Bronze - France

We then came to the "new boys on the block" to the first ever awards at an FAI World Championships in Artistic Events Dynamic Flying

Dynamic 2- Way

Gold - Switzerland
Silver - Great Britain	Bronze - USA

Dynamic 4- Way

Gold - France
Silver - Czech Republic	Bronze - United Arab Emirates

During the awards ceremony, whilst the National flags of the winners were being raised and the National Anthem of the gold medal winners played, we were shown a video of their winning performance - a really impressive touch on the part of the organisers.  This is going to be a hard act to follow!

Once all the medals had been handed out, pictures taken and all the medal winners applauded, Graeme Windsor formally closed the competition, but before that he thanked all who had worked behind the scenes to make this event happen, the organisation, the judges, the scoring system providers, the Committee Chairs for their work in preparing the rules that made it possible to have this first World Championships in Indoor Skydiving.  The FAI flag was lowered whislt everyone stood for the FAI Anthem.  Graeme then added one more thank you before handing the FAI flag to the owner and organiser of this Tunnel competition to keep as a souvenir of these inaugural Championships.

Everyone then enjoyed a very nice banquet and party.  Thank you Prague, I am sure we shall all remember being part of skydiving hstory.