Over the years, many skydivers have asked, “Will skydiving ever be in the Olympics?”
While our sport hasn’t yet made it to the big stage, this Saturday, July 9, elite skydivers from more than 15 countries will come together and compete in the Air Sports World Games canopy piloting competition at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama! The canopy piloting events will run through July 11, with July 12 set as a rain date.
The World Games is an 11-day international multi-sport event organized with the support of the International Olympic Committee. Held the year following the Summer Olympic Games, 3,600 elite athletes from more than 100 countries will compete for gold in The World Games 2022 in more than 30 of the fastest-growing sports in the world, including skydiving. The main goal of the games has been to provide a platform to those athletes who don’t get a chance to play their respective sports and disciplines at the Olympics.
Top skydivers competing on the U.S. Canopy Piloting Team include Curt Bartholomew, Jeannie Bartholomew, Nick Batsch, Robin Jandle, Travis Mills, Justin Price, Matt Shull and Greg Windmiller.
As most skydivers know, canopy piloting requires a high level of skill and experience, testing a parachutist’s ability to control a canopy accurately at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. At this year’s World Games, canopy pilots will receive scores in speed, zone accuracy and distance. In the freestyle round, the judges will grade for technical difficulty, presentation and landing.
“The best canopy pilots in the world will be competing in the Air Sports World Games. We are thrilled to have eight U.S. champions participating in the event and to showcase the sport of skydiving and its amazing athletes,” said USPA Executive Director Albert Berchtold. “Best of luck to the U.S. Canopy Piloting Team. We’re all rooting for you!”
Skydivers qualified for this competition through successful performances at the 2021 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Parachuting Championships last year in Kemerovo, Russia, where more than 60 United States Parachute Association members competed, with the U.S. taking home 13 medals across all disciplines.
Spectators can witness the exciting canopy parachuting event in person from the ground by purchasing tickets from the Air Sports World Games website at twg2022.com.
About The World Games 2022
The World Games 2022 Birmingham is the new generation of global sport competition, welcoming elite athletes from all over the world to compete for gold in 34 unique, multi-disciplinary sports. Featuring 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries, the international event will unite global fans with the Birmingham community in 25-plus venues around the greater metropolitan area. The World Games 2022 Birmingham, which marks the 40th anniversary of the event, will take place from July 7-17, 2022 and will generate an estimated $256 million in economic impact. The World Games was established by the International World Games Association, an organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The World Games 2022 is organized with the support of the International Olympic Committee. For more information visit twg2022.com or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.