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The July 2001 issue of Air Sports International is the concluding issue of the 'specials' we had for the 2nd World Air Games. This issue contains the Reports and Results of all the events conducted during the Games. We have tried to compile all the reports that were written from the Games sites and 'syndicated" to the media - in this case primarily to Air Sports International and FAI. Those of you who will also have seen the FAI web site will find most reports are common. However, our presentations are different. We have tried to make them more journalistic. One limitation we suffered from was that we could not deploy exclusive journalists for this enormous task. We had the assistance of a large number of volunteers and they have done extremely well by us. Just read the reports and you will see how these volunteers took their task so seriously. I would like to thank each one of our correspondents who so willingly sent in their reports day after day inspite of their busy schedule, acting as judges, observers and assistants to competitors. I would like to recognise all these volunteers - Alex Nagorski, who sent in the ballooning reports; Karen Diamond, who sent in special reports on Aerobatics; Mike Heuer, who inspite of being President of CIVL and the Chief Judge, did not miss a single day's report; Irina Ferrater, who reported on the Paragliding events; Karl Berger, who reported on Glider Aerobatics from Palma del Rio; Prof Peter Ryder, who reported on his favourite sport - Gliding; BJ Worth, who reported on his sport - Parachuting; and, Vicki Cains, who reported on Hang Gliding. I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention here the names of two of our very dedicated FAI officials who took on reports from sites not otherwise covered - WAG Managing Director Srecko Medven and FAI Assistant Secretary General Thierry Montigneaux. I am also grateful to Dr Peter Saundby for having taken the trouble to write out a full fledged report on the Aviation Medicine Seminar held during the WAG. This we have carried inside. We are acutely concious of the limitations that we worked under and the limitations the organisers of the WAG had in press and media relations. I trust our readers will bear with us. I wonder how many of us have tried their hand at participating in a Games event of such a magnitude "virtually" - sitting before a computer screen ! Happy Reading !
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