Cheng Yikang (right) holds the Olympic relay baton and the Olympic Cultural Scroll. [Photo/66wz.com]
On the lawn of the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, parachute team captain Mario Gervasi landed gently on the grass. Alongside him, fellow skydiver Cheng Yikang cheered as he handed over the Olympic relay baton and the Olympic Cultural Scroll to the great-granddaughter of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics.
At 72, Cheng, an artist and a native of Wenzhou, was invited by the French Olympic Committee to represent China in a skydiving performance, passing the Olympic relay baton and the Olympic Cultural Scroll, marking his first time skydiving. "I was very happy and not afraid because I was representing China," Cheng said.
Despite his family's concerns, Cheng passed medical and fitness tests and trained rigorously. On June 23, Olympic Day and the 130th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee's founding in Paris, Cheng and Mario performed their tandem skydive. After a trial jump from 3,500 meters, Cheng felt more confident. The official jump was from 3,000 meters, with Cheng holding the baton and scroll while gripping a selfie stick.
Mario praised the event as a symbol of Franco-Chinese friendship, admiring Cheng's courage at his age.
The Olympic Cultural Scroll, a gift from Beijing to the Paris Olympics, celebrates the fusion of global cultures and the Olympic spirit.
Cheng will attend the Paris Olympics opening ceremony and wishes success to the Chinese athletes.
