China’s Zhang Shupeng wins the precision target event at the Wingsuit Flying World Championship in Zhangjiajie, becoming China’s first wingsuit world champion.
Chinese wingsuit flyer Zhang Shupeng won the precision target event at the 12th Wingsuit Flying World Championship on Sept. 12th in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, central China. He became the first Chinese athlete to win a world championship title in wingsuit flying, CNS reported.
The 41-year-old scored 170 points over two rounds to take the title. US athlete Dante Wardlaw finished second with 160 points, while France’s Ambroise Serrano took third with 150 points.
The precision target final took place near Tianmen Cave on Tianmen Mountain. The target was set in a gap between the mountains, just 15 metres above the ground. Its centre measured only 0.04 metres in diameter, roughly the size of a mineral water bottle cap.
Eight finalists jumped one after another from Yuhu Peak at an altitude of 1,458 metres. They dived towards the target at speeds approaching 200 kilometres per hour. The final result was based on the combined scores from two rounds of target hits.
Zhang maintained steady control and accurate targeting in both rounds to secure the championship.
“I’m very happy. After more than a decade of effort, I have finally achieved my dream of winning a wingsuit flying world championship,” Zhang said after the competition.
Zhang was previously a member of China’s national paragliding team. In 2009, he became the first Chinese world champion in paragliding.
In 2012, he watched the first Wingsuit Flying World Championship at Tianmen Mountain. The experience sparked his interest in the sport. He later travelled to the United States to learn wingsuit flying and obtained a flight certificate from a European wingsuit organisation within three months, becoming China’s first wingsuit flying athlete.
This was Zhang’s eighth appearance at the Wingsuit Flying World Championship. He also won bronze in this year’s speed racing event.
The speed racing final was held on Sept. 11. Australia’s Tahi Paul Munro won the event for a third consecutive time in 24.051 seconds. Norway’s Joakim Lierhaug finished second in 24.292 seconds, while Zhang took third in 24.663 seconds.
According to the competition rules, speed racing athletes jumped from Yuhu Peak and made turns through the airspace in front of Tianmen Cave. They then passed through a gate below Tianmen Cave Square before making another turn into the canyon. The finish line was marked by a cable spanning the canyon, with the fastest time taking the title.
The 12th Wingsuit Flying World Championship brought together 16 athletes from 11 countries, including China, Australia, the United States and France. The competitors ranged in age from 22 to 59.
Zhang’s precision target victory came after years of competition and training in wingsuit flying.
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