French skydiver to make record free fall attempt after one-day delay

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A French skydiver, after a one-day setback, hopes to make history early Tuesday by free falling 40,000 meters (130,000 feet) from the stratosphere in a specially designed suit, helmet and parachute in a bid to break four records. Michael Fournier, 64, planned to make the attempt Monday, but had to postpone his plans because of wind conditions. The skydiver's spokeswoman, Francine Lecompte-Gittins, said Fournier now hopes to make the jump at 4:00 a.m. local time. "I feel that tomorrow I'm going to be lucky," Fournier said Monday afternoon through his spokeswoman. Fournier is hoping to break the record for the fastest and longest free fall, the highest parachute jump and the highest balloon flight. He also hopes to bring back data that will help astronauts and others survive in the highest of altitudes.