China and Czechia have clinched top spots as Overall Team champions (in female and male categories, respectively) at the 46th CISM World Military Parachuting Championships in Szolnok, Hungary, after a thrilling and hotly contested competition with several tie break rounds to finalise podium rankings. 

With a focus on all-round excellence, the speciality of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) parachuting championships is that the same five team members must achieve top scores in all three categories of Accuracy Landing, Style and Formation Skydiving to win the prestigious team overall classification. Of the 29 nations competing, the Chinese female team and the Czech male team displayed such excellence to become the champion teams in this 46th edition of the championships. 

The Czech male team at the Closing Ceremony

Live action and scoring were a highlight of the competition, with real time results and videos shown to spectators via the Accuracy Airshots and Intime audience systems, plus the innovative, new Freefall Style-Score displaying live judging with colour ground-to-air images in high quality. As tie-break rounds gathered momentum, spectators gathered in front of the big screen at the event drop zone to watch the dramatic action unfold in the Style and Formation categories, cheering on the teams who were battling it out for podium placings. 

New FAI records and CISM Parachuting Athletes of the Year are hoped to result from some of the contest's most outstanding performances. France's Mathieu Guinde's performance in Accuracy and Style has led to his being proposed as CISM Male Athlete of the Year for parachuting. Voting for CISM Athlete of the Year across 25 sports takes place in December. 

Style, Accuracy and Formation medal ceremonies took place on Wednesday 10 July, with individual and team awards presented at the Closing Ceremony on Friday 12 July, at the Air Force Museum in Szolnok.

Trophies on display at the drop zone

Speaking at the Closing Ceremony, the outgoing President of CISM Parachuting Col Gernot Rittenschober said in his farewell speech from CISM:

"The landmark of Szolnok, which is also included in the championship logo, is a bridge. All participants shall keep this memory in their mind and that it is important to build bridges between all participating nations, between the military sports (CISM) and civilian sports organisation (FAI) and between organisers, judges and competitors for the mutual benefit of us all."

• View all results including individual videos and scoring
• Medal table: male, female and junior
• See all images via FAI Flickr (image credit: Carsten Thiel)

Judges scrutinise a Czech skydiver making an Accuracy Landing

CISM Overall Teams Results

Female

1. China
2. Republic of Korea
3. Brazil

Male

1. Czechia
2. Germany
3. Republic of Korea

An Algerian skydiver coming in to land

Accuracy Landing

An extremely close battle for the championship titles in Accuracy Landing led to several tie break rounds at the very end of the competition with fierce competition over mere millimetres, Germany's Stefan Wiesner was in first place with a score of 3cm. Tamas Varga of host nation, Hungary, and France's Mathieu Guinde were tied in second place at 5cm. After three tie-break jumps, the outcome placed Varga in second and Guinde in third. 

In the Male Team Accuracy, Chinese parachutists battled their way to silver against Hungary behind the Czech champions, who emerged victorious with a total of 23cm after a spot-on semi-final round. CISM hopes that some performances in this category will lead to FAI ratified records and have logged preliminary record claims with the FAI Secretariat.

Amongst the women, China's Yao Xiao enjoyed a significant lead over Tatjana Gustke from Germany, with Ping Wang of China just behind in third place. This success from China was mirrored in the Female Team Accuracy Landing results, with China crowned champions ahead of Italy and the Republic of Korea.

The consistent scores from the Chinese team were extremely impressive, explains Colonel Gernot Rittenschober, "The precision required is notable, given the 2cm diametre of the dead centre, making every centimetre count. China's team achieved an average score of just 1.1cm over 40 jumps."

Eighteen competitors participated in the Junior Individual Accuracy, with Switzerland's Lukas Zwicker taking the lead over China's Kai Ding and Austria's Michael Urban in a tie-break finish. All three placed within the top 15 in the seniors, with Ding and Zwicker in joint 10th place, marking them as names to watch out for in the future.

individual Accuracy Landing results

Female

1. Yao Xiao (China)
2. Tatjana Gustke (Germany)
3. Ping Wang (China)

Male

1. Stefan Wiesner (Germany)
2. Tamas Varga (Hungary)
3. Mathieu Guinde (France)

Junior Mixed

1. Lukas Zwicker (Switzerland)
2. Kai Ding (China)
3. Michael Urban (Austria)
    

team Accuracy Landing results

Female

1. China
2. Italy
3. Republic of Korea

Male

1. Czechia
2. China
3. Hungary

Female Team Accuracy winners 2024

Style 

In the Individual Female Style category, Germany’s Tatjana Gustke secured the top spot on the podium by just 0.09 seconds in a remarkable tie-break finish. Yao Xiao again made an impressive performance in this category, becoming vice champion ahead of team-mates Kaixuan Wang and Yue Li. Gustke's performances helped her to secure the gold in Female Style and Accuracy Overall.

In the Individual Male Style, Elischa Weber of Germany maintained the lead over France's Thomas Jeannerot and Czech Miroslav Kris. These three nations dominated the top seven in the rankings, and indeed in the Junior Male Style, Germany were champions again, with Samuel Wallrath in gold here and with a fifth place in the Seniors. His team mate Elias Kammer gained a bronze in the Juniors and a top 10 place in the Seniors. Austria's Michael Urban squeezed between the two to take the silver in Junior (not far in points behind Wallrath) and ranked in eighth place among the Seniors.

INdividual Style RESULTS

Female

1. Tatjana Gustke (Germany)
2. Yao Xiao (China)
3. Kaixuan Wang (China)

Male

1. Elischa Weber (Germany)
2. Thomas Jeannerot (France)
3. Miloslav Kris (Czech Republic)

Junior Mixed

1. Samuel Wallrath (Germany)
2. Michael Urban (Austria)
3. Elias Kammer (Germany)

Junior Individual Style champions L-R: (Michael Urban, Samuel Wallrath, Elias Krammer)

individual Style and accuracy overall

Female

1. Tatjana Gustke (Germany)
2. Yao Xiao (China)
3. Yue Li (China)

Male

1. Mathieu Guinde (France)
2. Thomas Jeannerot (France)
3. Stefan Wiesner (Germany)

Junior Mixed

1. Michael Urban (Austria)
2. Samuel Wallrath (Germany)
3. Kai Ding (China)
    

4-Way Formation

The rankings were established early in the Female 4-Way Formation category: the Republic of Korea dominated each of the eight rounds except round three, setting the stage to become 2024 champions with China in second position. Brazil took third place ahead of the Spanish team.

Things were different in the Men's 4-Way Formation with a dramatic ending. Rittenschober commented that for him, one of the "highlights from the contests included Belgium’s ‘Hayabusa’ team clinching the gold in male Formation Skydiving, narrowly edging out the USA’s ‘Golden Knights’ who had led after Round 5." Qatar took a comfortable third place ahead of Spain.

The Spanish 4-way Formation Team. Image courtesy of PAPEA - Patrulla Acrobática de Paracaidismo del Ejército del Aire

4-Way Formation Results

Female

1. Republic of Korea
2. China
3. Brazil

Male

1. Belgium
2. USA
3. Qatar

Belgium: champions in Male 4-Way Formation

Continuing the FAI-CISM partnership

The CISM motto of ‘Friendship through Sport’ has once again woven its thread these championships which saw the hosts from Hungary compete alongside 28 other nations. Likewise, officials from FAI and CISM have welcomed the opportunity to maintain their long-lasting partnership.

FAI Skydiving Commission (ISC) President Alberto Martin Paracuellos who was present for the championships praised CISM’s organisation, commenting, “These championships have been impressive not only for the exciting competition presented by these incredible skydivers, but also for the smooth organisation and innovative technology used to keep spectators up to date with live jumps and judging. FAI warmly congratulates CISM on another excellent event and looks forward to collaborating on the next CISM air sports competitions.”

Many CISM athletes will attend the upcoming FAI Skydiving championship event in Prostejov, Czechia. 

FAI and CISM officials at the Closing Ceremony

Image credits: Carsten Thiel, unless otherwise indicated