Folgore on the World Podium: the Army Wins Silver at the Wind Games

In the wind tunnel of Empuriabrava, Spain, the Italian Army parachute team achieved a prestigious second place at the Wind Games, an international event that annually attracts the elite of world parachuting.

The feat was accomplished by the team led by Marshal from Asti Alessandro Binello, also composed of Andrea Cardinali, Stefano Falagiani, Marco Soro, and Federico (Andrea) Allamprese, all part of the Sports Activities Department of the Paratroopers Brigade Folgore. A result of the highest profile, achieved after a very tight competition: after 10 closely contested rounds, Italy finished behind Poland, the narrow winner, and ahead of China, completing a podium entirely formed by athletes from their respective national teams.

The competition took place in the VFS (Vertical Formation Skydiving) specialty, a spectacular and highly technical discipline that involves performing figures and grips in vertical flight, both indoor (in the wind tunnel) and outdoor (in free fall, with jumps from an aircraft up to 4,000 meters). It is precisely the indoor activity, often less known to the general public, that represents a fundamental phase: in modern parachuting, the wind tunnel is indeed preparatory to traditional practice and, for elite athletes, is an essential tool for refining techniques, movement precision, and training on combinations of very high difficulty.

The evolution of indoor competitions is also contributing to pushing parachuting towards increasingly ambitious goals: the expansion and standardization of wind tunnel competitions indeed foster the prospect that, in the future, the discipline may approach recognition in the Olympic field. In the military field, the wind tunnel also assumes an operational value: it is used for training and education of parachutists and special forces professionals, improving control, coordination, and management of complex situations.

The second place at the Wind Games is part of a tradition of established excellence. The Army team is undefeated in Italy and represents a unique entity at the international level: it is among the very few realities capable of winning dozens of medals in world and European competitions, both indoor and outdoor. The Sports Activities Department – parachuting section is based in Pisa, at the Parachuting Training Center of Folgore, and includes multi-medaled athletes in numerous disciplines.

Alongside competition, the department also maintains a constant presence at the most prestigious events: from the Republic Day to major institutional and international events, such as G7, Armed Forces Day, and other high-profile ceremonies. An intense activity that combines sport, professionalism, and representation, and that today is enriched by another significant medal: the silver of Empuriabrava, a brilliant confirmation of a group that continues to soar high.