Cyprus wins first-ever medal at European Indoor Skydiving Championship

Cyprus has secured its first-ever medal at the European Indoor Skydiving Championship, a discipline that has been rapidly growing worldwide in recent years. The bronze medal was won by Vasilisa Tyulina, a student at Xenion High School in Paralimni and a representative of the Cyprus Parachute Association.

The competition — the 4th European Indoor Skydiving Championship — took place from April 1 to 4, 2026, in the French city of Bouc-Bel-Air at the iFLY Aix-Marseille venue. The tournament gathered the strongest athletes of the continent and was held across several disciplines, including freestyle and dynamic categories.

Tyulina competed in the Solo Freestyle Junior category, where participants perform complex acrobatic elements in a vertical wind tunnel. Judges evaluate the program's complexity, technical execution, and overall artistic impression.

The Cypriot athlete scored 61.9 points to take third place, following competitors from Switzerland and France. The gap from fourth place was minimal — just 0.3 points.

This is not Tyulina's first international performance. In 2024, she represented Cyprus at the Indoor Skydiving World Cup in Macau, where she finished sixth in her category. In recent years, she has managed to significantly improve her results and climb onto the European championship podium.

The Cyprus Parachute Association called this result a vital step for the development of the sport on the island and expressed hope that Tyulina's success will inspire more young athletes to take up indoor skydiving.