Pulling the cord on constraint

Ye Xiaoli during a training session. Photos provided to China Daily

Sudden illness left Ye Xiaoli almost completely deaf in one ear, but now the sky's the limit for this indomitable parachuter. Huang Zhiling reports in Qionglai, Sichuan.

To most Chinese, the age of 39 is too old for an athlete. But Ye Xiaoli is still very active. During the 37th World Military Parachuting Championship held in Qionglai, Sichuan province, last week, the mother of a 9-year-old girl grabbed two of the 18 golds for the championship.

On Oct 24, she won a gold medal for the women's formation skydive with three other aces from the August 1st Parachuting Team of the People's Liberation Army of China.

"The August 1st Parachuting Team won many golds in the World Skydiving Championship, World Military Parachuting Championship and World Military Games after it was set up 55 years ago. But it was the first time the team won the gold medal for the women's formation skydiving category," says Chen Wei, chief of the August 1st Parachuting Team.

A few days earlier, Ye won the gold medal for the Women's Individual Accuracy category in the 37th World Military Parachuting Championship.

"A total of 370 competitors from 31 countries competed in events such as accuracy, formation skydive and style," says Shen Jinke, an information officer with the PLA airforce.

Organized by the PLA airforce and co-sponsored by Sichuan local governments, this year's contest marked the first time the championship, which is one of the 26 sporting events of the International Military Sports Council, was held in China. It had been held exclusively in Europe and the United States until this year.

The council, founded in 1948, is one of the largest multi-disciplinary organizations in the world. It organizes various sporting events for the armed forces of its 133 member countries.

The parachuting event is judged on accuracy, style and formation skydiving.