Donatas Pauzuolis bags first gold medal at WAG Dubai

Donatas Pauzuolis of Lithuania successfully defended his world crown with a perfect score to win the Aeromodelling F3P indoor aerobatics title at the Dubai Mall ice rink late on Tuesday.

As per the rules of competition, each participant could drop two of their four scores over two days of competition.

Pauluolis ended two days of competition with a perfect score of 2,000 points after he recorded 1,000 points in each of his four visits to the arena.

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.

“We have had the most excellent start to this competition. We are thrilled to see the efforts put in by the local organisers led by Nasser Al Neyadi and Yousuf Al Hammadi in ensuring that everything is in order to stage the best Games-ever in the history of the World Air Games,” Dr Grubbstrom said after the presentation ceremony.

“We had the best pilots in the very first contest of the championship and we have seen how the gold medallist Donatas Pauzuolis has achieved a perfect score. We could not have a more perfect start to the World Air Games,” he added.

Pauzuolis, who hails from Lithuania had won the title at the previous World Air Games hosted by Italy in 2009.

On Monday night, the Lithuanian competitor posted two perfect scores of 1,000 points and followed this up with another two perfect scores on the second day of the competition.

He was followed in the next two places by Alan Goljevscek of Slovenia and Devis McGrath from the United States of America.

Alan Goljevscek had been in contention for the second spot with scores of 951.327 and 943.231 for a cumulative total of 1894.56 points at the end of the first day.

The Slovenian’s second day’s 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.

Devin McGrath from the USA followed 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.

“He (Donatas Pauzuolis) has been unbeatable over the past few years. But we will find a way out on how to defeat him one day,” Devin McGrath said.

Participants were awarded scores based on nine criteria, including flying style precision, utilization of flight performance, variety of manoeuvres, artisitic quality, synchronization, reflection of the mood of music and overall impression created through utilization of manoeuring and continuity of schedule.

The judging panel consisted of three members, namely Peter Uhlig (Germany), Esa Eirola (Finland) and Harry Ells (Canada) grading individuals in various criteria laid down for the competitors.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, the game go on in Dubai till December 12.

The 2015 World Air Games Dubai is the fourth edition and has attracted more than 1,200 participants from 56 countries all across the world, making this the biggest-ever in the history of the competition.

The official opening ceremony of the WAG 2015 will be held at Skydive Dubai on Thursday evening (December 3).

 

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