The 2015 International Military Sports Council (CISM) World Games, slated to start on Oct. 2 in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province (North Gyeongsang Province), will pit about 9,000 members from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps against each other in a total of 24 events. The games will have a record-high turnout -- about 9,000 servicemen and women from 122 countries -- the largest in its history.

There will be unusual and unique scenes at the upcoming games which cannot be seen easily in other kinds of sports events. This Olympics will bring to light both physical and mental capabilities among the world’s military servicemen and servicewomen.

Among the 24 categories, one of the most thrilling may be the parachuting competition, in which participants will parachute from a height of three kilometers and demonstrate a variety of formations in a group. Others will jump from over one kilometer and try to land on a designated point, with their landing accuracy measured to the nearest centimeter.

In the Naval Pentathlon event, sailors and marines will go through a series of challenges. In the series of five parts of the pentathlon, they will first dive into water and hold their breath as long as they can. They will then swim through a pool while holding a rifle, and, after getting out of the pool, throw (a?) grenade(s?) at a target. Next, they have to jump over a line of high hurdles and crawl through a tunnel. After this 125 meter-long course, their ability to react in underwater emergency situations will be put to the test: In the last part of the pentathlon, the competitors will plunge into the sea, each trying to save a drowning dummy, and, finally, will, again, have to clear a series of hurdles, which are this time underwater.

Participants in the other pentathlon competition, the Military Pentathlon, will compete in a course which includes shooting, running through an obstacle course, swimming through a set of obstacles, and ends with a test of their throwing ability.

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: the Organizing Committee for the 2015 CISM World Games
jiae5853@korea.kr
jiae5853@korea.kr