23-4-2024 (SINGAPORE) Emotions ran high for Singaporean teen Kai Minejima-Lee as he clinched the solo freestyle open title at the World Air Sports Federation (FAI) World Cup of Indoor Skydiving (WCIS) in Macau on April 20. The 15-year-old prodigy burst into tears of relief and joy after his captivating routine, having edged out American James Rogers and Latvian Toms Ivans with a stellar score of 71.7 points at the GoAirborne Macau event.
Joining Kai on the winner’s podium was fellow Singaporean Isabelle Koh, who etched her name in glory by capturing the solo freestyle junior title with an impressive 72.4 points, outshining Hungary’s Mate Feith and Australia’s Ariel Zarah Gilbert Daborn.
For Kai, the open title marked the culmination of a stressful yet rewarding journey. The home-schooled teenager expressed the immense significance of his achievement, stating, “There was so much hard work put into that. The win really meant so much to me that after my last round, I couldn’t control it, and I started crying because there were so many emotions coming up after that.”
Having secured the solo freestyle junior championship at the 2023 WCIS, Kai found himself thrust into the open category in February due to a teammate’s injury. Competing against seasoned skydivers, including former WCIS winner Ivans, who had once been his mentor, added an extra layer of pressure for the young Singaporean.
Kai admitted to grappling with the dilemma of whether to watch his rivals’ routines while awaiting his turn in the final round. “At first, I was like, I need to not look, but in the end, I wanted to show the world the routine I’d worked so hard on one last time,” he said. “Watching everyone’s routines made me even hungrier to put out the best performance that I can.”
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Isabelle Koh relished her remarkable improvement after finishing fourth in the same category at the 2023 world championships. The Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student beamed with pride, stating, “I’m very glad I was able to deliver one of the best performances of my life. I feel like my effort really paid off, and I’m very proud of the result.”
Singapore’s contingent of 21 athletes, the largest ever, returned home with additional accolades, including a silver in the dynamic four-way open category through Vera Poh, Choo Yi Xuan, Jordan Lee, and Kai, as well as a bronze from Isabelle and Lee in the dynamic two-way open.
The WCIS, held in conjunction with the Asian Indoor Skydiving Championships and European Indoor Skydiving Championships witnessed the soaring success of Singapore’s young skydiving talents, who continue to make their mark on the international stage.
