. Skydiving

kydiving is a sport in which a parachutist falls through the air, performing various maneuvers, before opening his or her parachute. Free-falling in this way is the closest that a human comes to flying like a bird.

Parachutists in the early 1900s opened their parachutes within a second or two of jumping. As parachuting developed, however, bolder jumpers delayed pulling the ripcord. They expe­rienced free fall for a few seconds before the parachute opened and slowed their descent. This was the start of skydiving.

In the 1930s, parachuting began to develop as an international sport. The first world championships were held in 1951, and today there are competitions for accuracy, style, and team jumping.

Many people enjoy the thrill of skydiv­ing as a recreational sport.