Dubai: Donatas Pauzuolis from Lithuania picked up the first gold medal while successfully defending his world title in the Aeromodelling F3P indoor aerobatics on the opening day of the 2015 World Air Games (WAG) at the Dubai Mall ice rink late on Tuesday.
Pauzuolis had won the title at the previous 2009 World Air Games held in Italy.
The 31-year-old had taken the lead on Monday night with perfect scores of 1,000 points on both his visits to the rink.
On Tuesday, the Lithuanian replicated these scores to end the two days of competition with a perfect total.
In aeromodelling F3P indoor aerobatics, participants are required to guide their airplane models in sync with pre-chosen music.
Scores are then awarded by a three-member judging panel based on nine prime criteria, including flying style precision, utilisation of flight performance, variety of manoeuvres, artistic quality, synchronisation, reflection of the mood of music and overall impression created through utilisation of manoeuvring and continuity of schedule.
As per competition rules, each of the participants were allowed to drop two low scores from the set of four. With the Lithuanian completely dominating both days, the fight was on for the silver medal with overnight challengers Alan Goljevscek of Slovenia and the American pair of Devin McGrath and RJ Gritter battling it out.
Goljevscek had been in contention for second with scores of 951.327 and 943.231 and a cumulative total of 1,894.56 points at the end of the first day. The Slovenian’s second day lower scores of 934.354 and 926.471 had to be discarded, but he still finished with the silver medal based on his first day’s total.
McGrath came in third with a total of 1,842.96 points following scores of 926.991 from day one and 915.966 from the second day.
Yousuf Al Hammadi, Championship director, was joined by Dr John Grubbstrom, president of the World Air Sports Federation (FAI), at the presentation of medals after the competition.
“He [Donatas Pauzuolis] has been unbeatable over the past few years. He’s been too good for our sport but we need to find a way out on how to defeat him one day,” both McGrath and Goljevscek concurred.
And the latter added: “When you are competing against the best you have to be perfect or you will lose out. If we take this in perspective then I think I should be happy with the silver medal.”
McGrath added too: “I have managed to defeat him on a few occasions, though it has not been in this discipline. This discipline is his strength, and hopefully I will be able to get the better of him.”
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the fourth edition of the World Air Games will go on in 23 different disciplines at various drop-zones and sites in Dubai until December 12.
Factbox: Today’s schedule
(4-4.10pm) Flag Jump
(4.10-4.30pm) Breitling Show
(4.30-4.55pm) Al Fursan Aerobatic Show
(4.55-5.30pm) Jetman and Zoltan Formation
