Skydiving is one of those wild ideas that becomes even more insane the closer you get to the edge of that plane. It goes against every shred of logic and instinct, but there's a reason people do it all around the world. The thrill is as sky-high as the altitude. On World Skydiving Day (July 12), 2,590 Aussie daredevils joined skydivers and sporting bodies around the globe in an attempt to break the world record for the highest number of jumps in a single day. Sadly, wild weather grounded drop zones in Western Australia, meaning Australia narrowly missed matching its 2,726 jumps from 2024.
Overall, 26,718 skydives were recorded across 24 countries, stretching from Australia and Angola to Greece and Guatemala – but it wasn't quite enough to top last year's world record of 30,351. Still, with the sport's popularity growing, Australia’s peak skydiving body is rallying to get skydiving included in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
Australian Parachute Federation CEO, Stephen Porter, said, “Australia performs incredibly well on the global stage, and what better way to showcase the gorgeous scenery of Queensland than with skydiving events held throughout the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.”
Yep, jumping out of a plane is more than just a bucket-list experience; it’s a legit professional sport. World Championships are currently held across a range of categories, including formation skydiving, freestyle, speed skydiving, wingsuit flying and canopy piloting.
Why isn’t skydiving an Olympic sport?
Skydiving has yet to be included as an Olympic sport for a few key reasons: it’s difficult to spectate, it’s not easily accessible to the public, it’s expensive and it’s inherently dangerous. That said, progress is in the air – canopy piloting was featured at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, an event supported by the International Olympic Committee, signalling a potential step towards Olympic recognition.
And skydiving still had its starring moment at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, with Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise plummeting into Hollywood to hand over the flag for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
If you're going to jump out of a plane, the views have to be bloody good. Check out our guide to the most epic places to skydive in Australia.
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