Varadero hosts
Latin American Parachuting Championship
Lien Martí
Rodríguez & Pedro Carrillo Garcés
JORGE Dervinche is regular guy. His
short stature and weighty frame hide his adventurous
spirit and past as an outstanding athlete. Rapa, as
he is known in his native Brazil, is the current
President of the Latin American Parachuting
Confederation (COLPAR) and has amassed an
outstanding trajectory in the field of sports
administration since 1994, when he retired from the
discipline.
Cubans
have done well in the precision event.
According to Rapa, his 19 year
career as a skydiver began in 1974. In the beginning
he practiced the specialty of precision landings.
Later, with more experience, he took up the team
free fall, in which he won four titles in national
tournaments and second place in two Pan American
Games.
Jorge Dervinche is in Cuba for the
first time and although he has not had time to get
to know Varadero, he is already familiar with the
natural joy and enthusiasm of Cubans, who have
jointly organized the Sixth Latin American
Parachuting Championship and First Friendship
Cup. Both tournaments took place last week in
Varadero, where Dervinche commented:
How would you describe these
tournaments?
These Latin American tournaments are
very important for the exchange of knowledge, in
this sense they allow countries with a higher level
to make a contribution. Cuba and Chile are very good
in the precision event, in which they will compete
during the current edition. Brazil, Peru and
Argentina will have the opportunity to increase
their knowledge.
In September, Brazil will host the
canopy piloting event, in which the host country and
Argentina have achieved the best results. Therefore,
the other participants will have the opportunity to
raise, little by little, their technical level. Only
then can the region grow competitively.
What do you think of Cuban
parachuting?
Cuba is at the top in the precision specialty. It is
striving to learn and grow in the other events as
well. We have known for along time that Cuban
athletes, when they try, can win gold medals.
Do these tournaments only benefit
athletes?
The tournaments go beyond
competition; they also include training activities
which are fundamental, such as the training of
judges accredited by the International Aerial
Federation (IAF). It is essential to train judges
and we do it wherever there is a competition.
Currently four Cubans are accredited IAF judges. A
good competition also depends on good judges. I hope
that, as the years pass, this will be my legacy.
And despite Brazil’s defeat in the
2014 FIFA World Cup, Rapa smiles and admits that he
would love to do a jump in Cuba. He says goodbye,
camera in hand, having already amassed memories of
our people.
