Saturday, May 11
    After a mildly cloudy dawn, the sky does warm up after all and the sun shines again over Stranik. No one is surprised anymore that a strong southeast wind is blowing. One gets used to anything with time.

    The moment, at high noon, a 34 km long discipline is announced at the briefing, going to Cadec over three turning points, it begins to rain. The light shelters at the starting ground are instantly crowded, as are the spaces beneath four hang gliders belonging to Moravian glider pilots.



    A few minutes later, however, the shower is over and at 12:30 the start window is opened. The wind is still relatively strong and while some racers perform dramatic stunts, others look to Petr Recek, but without result.





    The favorites are in a hurry. The cloud cover over Stranik and in the direction of the route begins to darken considerably and lightning flashes over Fatra Mountain. It is the last day of the race and points are at stake.



    Several pilots, after turning a wide base at an altitude of around 1800 meters, head in the opposite direction, away from the first turning point, with the evident intention of flying along a different route, with less cloudiness. The only way to the goal today, however, leads right under a perfectly formed series of threatening, dark bases, directly towards the northwest. It is only for those with strong nerves.

    The clouds work reliably and after threading their way through occasional showers, a total of 20 pilots land at the goal. Not quite 58 minutes was sufficient time for Petr Kostrhun to fly the entire route and his point gain immediately moves him from 6th place up to Third. Radek Vecera holds on to first place with his perfect flight, just like Antonin Pallas who keeps his 2nd position in the race.




    "I prayed to every cloud to take me in and let me go again", laments the unhappy Robert Setnicka over the fight record in his Garmin 76 MAP, while waiting for the results, while others happily comment on the fact that risers were just about everywhere.

    "Champions of the world, champions of the world...!", resounds through the packed restaurant at camp Varin, shortly before 22:00, not referring, however, to paragliding, but to the just achieved victory of the Slovak hockey team over Russia. Fireworks light up the sky over Zilina, and shortly afterwards the winners of this year's Paragliding Cup Stranik 2002 are wrestling with big, and heavy prizes.









    The Slovak duo of Orolin and Kleja finished dramatically; with Michal Orolin arriving at the goal in the second best time Juraj Kleja coming in fourth. While the point gain earned Michal Orolin 4th place in the overall placement, and first in the Slovak placement, Juraj Kleja, following surprisingly unlucky racing days, had to content himself with, for him unusual, 16th place in the overall placement. Maybe the next year's race will be more fruitful for him ...