December 9, 2015
Golden Knights
Team:
Justin Blewitt (USA), Joshua Coleman (USA), Matthew Davidson (USA), David Flynn (USA), Sherri Jo Gallagher (USA), Kurt Isenbarger (USA), Larry Miller (USA), Jeshua Stahler (USA), Andrew Starr (USA), Sean Sweeny (USA)
The US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team has set a new world record in the Eight Way Formation at the FAI World Air Games this week. To set the new record they executed 33 formations in 50 seconds. They won the gold medal in the Eight Way Formation with 222 points.
They had set the previous record just eight weeks ago at the USPA National Skydiving Championships. Previously, they had set the record of 31 points in the 50 seconds working time at the first FAI World Air Games in Turkey in 1997.
The Golden Knights are no strangers to skydiving competitions and winning championships. The teams have earned the highest accolades in parachuting competitions. They have won 460 national championships, 100 world championships, 32 national team titles and 10 world team titles. Over the past 52 years, the team has also broken an astounding 348 world records.
For the Eight Way Formation event the team links together to form geometrical formations within a set time limit. They are judged on style, accuracy, and vertical relative work. Their flight is filmed in-air and then reviewed by the judges. They only score points if all the grips are held at the same time and if they’re captured on film. To prepare for the flight the teams use creepers to practice their routine on the ground. The team members wear specially designed overalls with “grippers” sewn on to the arms and legs to act as a hand rail for others to hold during flight. The Golden Knights scored well ahead of the silver and bronze teams. Russia took silver with 185 points and France took bronze with 172.
It is incredible how the team works together to remember and complete all of their formations in under 1 minute.