120 balloonists to compete at FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Szeged
One hundred and twenty balloonists are coming from all over the world to compete at the 25th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Szeged, the organizers announced in a press release.
Competitors from 31 countries are coming to the world's largest hot air balloon competition, the 25th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship, held in Szeged between September 8-14, 2024. During the one-week competition, 120 hot air balloon pilots will ascend high above the city. Other balloon wonders will also float into view for non-competitive demonstration flights.
According to the organizers' announcement, the list of balloonists from all over the world also reveals how ageless this sport is. At the 25th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship, for example, 75-year-old David Bareford will compete too. Bareford, from Great Britain, flew his balloon for the first time in 1974, won the world championship twice in recent years, and also finished first among the best in Europe twice. He was also the competition director of the 2019 Mallorca and 2021 European Championships in Szeged. Bareford's son also chose this sport, he already won the world championship both in the youth category and among adults.
The youngest participant of the world championship in Szeged comes from Belgium. Born in 2004, Maarten Deleersnyder has only been a balloon pilot since 2023 and already has a 4th place in the youth world championship.
Multiple female pilots are participating, including Hungarian pilot Rita Becz, who has showcased her skills at various international and Hungarian championships and women's world competitions. Last year she finished in 11th place at the women's world championship in Australia.
Hot air ballooning is an extremely spectacular event for the spectators, but a serious technical challenge for the pilots. During the flight, competitors are often given several consecutive tasks. The competition manual of the FAI, i.e. the international association of the sport, contains 20 different types of tasks, which can be divided into 3 groups. According to this, the tasks may include precision flight to a predetermined target, but there are also tasks in which speed, time, or distance covered are crucial.
More information and regular updates will be available on the event's Facebook page and website.
The 25th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship will take place at the same time as the 2024 Szeged International Airshow.
Info and featured image via FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship / Presspresso
