Flying through the clouds: why was the record-breaking athlete punished?

Chinese paraglider Peng Yujian has been fined and banned from flying for six months after he accidentally soared to an altitude of 8,589 meters, The Guardian reports, citing a report by the Gansu Provincial Aviation Association.

The incident occurred in the Qilian Mountains. The athlete, who was preparing to check his equipment at a launch site at an altitude of about 3,000 meters, unexpectedly soared into the air and lost control. Footage captured on Peng's own camera shows him struggling through clouds in minus 35 degrees Celsius. The athlete said he was afraid of freezing during his unusual flight and tried to communicate with ground staff via radio.

"I couldn't feel my hands. Everything was frozen, and it was very difficult to even maintain radio contact," Peng said. He was forced to land 30 kilometers from the starting point.

According to the results of the investigation, it turned out that the athlete did not have official permission for this flight. It turned out that Peng's real goal was not to ascend with a paraglider, but only to check the equipment on the ground. At the same time, his friend Gu Zhiming was also given the same fine for uploading a video of this flight to the popular Chinese social network Douyin platform. Both athletes were banned from aviation sports for six months.

According to experts, paragliding to a height of 8,589 meters without oxygen equipment and special tools is extremely dangerous for life, and the chances of survival are very low. Therefore, Peng's accidental result was not recorded as a record. Currently, the official world record in this area belongs to German Eva Wisnerski, who climbed to a height of 9,946 meters in 2007.

In the meantime, this incident remains a warning signal for paragliding athletes. It once again confirms the need for both athletes and organizations to be prepared for any extreme situation and pay more serious attention to safety measures. Peng Yujian's incident has become a serious lesson for athletes around the world.