U.S. ARMY PARACHUTE TEAM TAKES BRONZE IN ACCURACY

By Cheryle RivasJuly 31, 2008

SFC Tennyson '08 Slovakia
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Women's Team '08 Slovakia
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Members of the U.S. Army Parachute Team's competition team faced their toughest battle but managed to pull out third place at the 30th FAI World Style and Accuracy Parachuting Championships in Slovakia. (FAI stands for the FAfAdAfAration AAfAronautique Internationale, the World Air Sports Federation, known as the world governing body for air sports and aeronautical world records.)

Soldiers from the U.S. Army Parachute Team, Sergeant 1st Class Elisa Tennyson; Sergeant 1st Class Karen Morrison and Sergeant 1st Class Angela Nichols, part of the five-member U.S. Women's Team, had a rough start in the first round of competition, but they were able to claw their way back into the medal count. The battle started when the women faced off against the Chinese team, who fell from second place. In a dead tie, the two teams faced each other in a jump-off. The Chinese jumped first, but gave up little slack with a point-three meter score. The U.S. Women answered back, but came up short with a point-nine meter round. The Russian's followed the Chinese with a solid point-one meter round, securing first place in the competition, followed by the Chinese taking second and the U.S. team finishing up in third.

The women continue with individual accuracy in the semifinal and final rounds of competition, with Tennyson and Nichols sitting in seventh and 13th places respectively.