Sunday Mirror

Jump to remember

Veteran Sandy, 97, joins parachute tribute to Arnhem anniversar­y Video gamers will compete at Olympics, says Ninja

- BY JAMES MURRAY

VIDEO games will soon be an Olympic sport, says the world’s top Fortnite player.

Richard Blevins, 28, known as Ninja, hinted he would like to compete if they are part of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. “For me, I just think it’s going to be time,” he said. “Obviously, the younger generation enjoys esports and that’s what the TV people are gonna want to show.”

Blevins, who lives near Chicago and has earned millions playing, PARACHUTES fill the heavens as one of World War Two’s bravest missions is honoured by a swarm of skydivers... including a 97-year-old veteran.

Sandy Cortmann was strapped to one of the Red Devils team for a landing at Arnhem in Holland with 1,500 other skydivers yesterday.

It was his first return visit since being shot at and later captured by the enemy in a jump celebrated in the film

A Bridge Too Far.

Sandy said of his

75th anniversar­y jump: “When the door opened I thought, ‘ Christ, what a way down.’ ”

He admitted it was

“thoroughly terrifying” – but wants to do it again next year.

The 1944 leap was a doomed attempt to shorten the war and Sandy, of Aberdeen, recalls “guns and mortars opening up – and they were all aimed at us!”

He shook hands with Prince Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment.

Fellow ex-para Gary Haughton, 52, said Charles joked of Sandy: “He puts me to shame, I should have been up there with him.”

When the door opened I thought, Christ what a way down SANDY CORTMANN, 97, BEFORE HIS JUMP

spoke after the Fortnite World Cup offered £24million in prizes, cementing the survival game’s status as a global phenomenon.

Intel and the Internatio­nal Olympic Committee have announced that the Intel World Open esports competitio­n will be held days before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Last year it emerged that organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympics were in talks about including esports as a demonstrat­ion event.

 ??  ?? SKYFALL Some of the 1,500 parachutis­ts drop yesterday
LANDING Sandy in tandem with an Army Red Devils parachutis­t
CAP THAT Sandy and his Red Devils skydive buddy
THANKS Prince Charles with an Arnhem veteran
SKYFALL Some of the 1,500 parachutis­ts drop yesterday LANDING Sandy in tandem with an Army Red Devils parachutis­t CAP THAT Sandy and his Red Devils skydive buddy THANKS Prince Charles with an Arnhem veteran
 ??  ?? LA HOPES Richard Blevins
LA HOPES Richard Blevins

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