ATHLETES FROM 12 COUNTRIES TAKE TO THE SKIES ABOVE URIJE

The 29th Prijedor Open Parachuting Championship was officially concluded last weekend at Urije Airfield, once again gathering top parachutists from Europe, Asia, and North America.

PHOTO: InfoPrijedor

The competition, part of the Eastern European Accuracy Landing League, dates back to 1996 when it was first held under the name Petrovdan Parachuting Cup. Today, it is recognized as a high-ranking international event—just below world and continental championships—thanks to the World Air Sports Federation (FAI), which awarded it Category 2 status.

Zoran Sredić, director of this year’s competition, stated that the start was delayed due to heavy fog and low cloud cover, but improved weather conditions later allowed the first round of jumps to be completed.

This year's event had a strong international character, featuring 15 teams and 68 competitors from 12 countries across three continents. Among the participants were athletes from Canada and the Sultanate of Oman, giving Prijedor Open a truly intercontinental dimension.

Siniša Vujaković, president of the Aero Club Prijedor’s Management Board and leader of the home team, reported that the first round was successfully completed, with the local team taking the lead ahead of the teams from Oman and "Solnok" from Hungary. He noted that weather conditions remained challenging throughout the competition, and while eight jumps per team were initially planned, it became more realistic to aim for a minimum of four jumps to officially validate the championship.

Vujaković emphasized that Prijedor Open has long earned its world-class status, and that this year’s competition featured strong contenders, including three world champions and several European titleholders.