French parachutists break another world record<\/p>\n
By Primastuti Handayani<\/p>\n
LIDO, West Java (JP): The French team's pre-tournament
\nprediction to break records during the Sixth World Parachuting
\nChampionships on Canopy Formation came true for the second time
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The team, which produced a new world record in the four-way
\ncanopy rotation event on Sunday, set a new world record in the
\neight-way speed rotation yesterday.<\/p>\n
France, which established the old record in Australia in 1994
\nby clocking 29 seconds, yesterday sharpened the mark to 27.46
\nseconds in its first jump.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the team, which received great applause from
\n2,000-strong crowd, failed to repeat its outstanding performance
\nin the second and third jumps and was only able to clock 29.78
\nand 36.56 seconds.<\/p>\n
Eight-way speed rotation is a competition in which
\nparticipants have to assemble in specified formations in the
\nshortest possible time.<\/p>\n
The United States and the Russian teams were involved in a
\nclose struggle to secure second place.<\/p>\n
But the United States triumphed by clocking 40.93 seconds in
\nthe first jump and improved it to 33.91 seconds in its second
\njump. In its third jump, however, the team failed to better its
\nrecord and only timed 35.17 seconds.<\/p>\n
Russia had to be satisfied with third after clocking 38.14
\nseconds in its first jump. In the next two jumps the Russians
\nonly managed to clock 43.66 and 53.34 seconds respectively.<\/p>\n
Host Indonesia, which only prepared its team for a month in
\nthe United States, was only able to clock 120 seconds, the time
\nlimit approved by the judges.<\/p>\n
The country's team, which consists of the Army's and the Air
\nForce's Special Forces, produced the same time in its second
\njump. In its third jump, Indonesia finally improved its time to
\n92.44 seconds.<\/p>\n
The organizers had to delay the event for about five hours due
\nto the wind speed. The event was halted at around 9.30 a.m. and
\nresumed at 2.30 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"The wind speed is more than 20 knots. In a canopy
\ncompetition, the rules say that the wind should be 12 knots,\" Lt.
\nCol. Sus Sunjoto, the organizers' spokesman, said.<\/p>\n
The eight-way speed formation category, which was expected to
\nhave eight competing teams, only saw six teams, including Germany
\nand Australia.<\/p>\n
New Zealand withdrew from the event because one of its
\nmembers, Severn Smith, was injured earlier in the morning.<\/p>\n
Smith was about to land when his legs hit a flag pole around
\nthe dropping zone. He was then flown directly to Soekarno-Hatta
\nby police helicopter.<\/p>\n
\"It caused a deep hole in his legs and he's not comfortable
\nwith that,\" said teammate Jeff Kay.<\/p>\n
The eight-way formation event was scheduled to be an eight-
\njump event. Weather permitting, it will continue today for the
\nremaining five jumps.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/french-parachutists-break-another-world-record-1447893297",
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