Zhang Shupeng Photo: VCG

Chinese wingsuit flyer Zhang Shupeng claimed his first world championship title in the precision target event at the 12th Wingsuit Flying World Championship on Saturday in Zhangjiajie, Central China's Hunan Province.

Zhang, 41, scored 170 points over two rounds to win the precision target title, becoming the first Chinese wingsuit flyer to claim a world championship gold in the event. He also finished third in the speed racing event with a time of 24.663 seconds.

The competition brought together 16 top wingsuit flyers from 11 countries and regions, all of whom competed in two events, speed racing and precision target, among the towering peaks and deep valleys of Tianmen Mountain.

In the precision target final, competitors jumped from Yuhu Peak at an altitude of about 1,458 meters and dived toward a target at speeds approaching 200 kilometers per hour. 

The center of the target measured just 0.04 meters in diameter, roughly the size of a mineral water bottle cap, making even a tiny deviation potentially decisive.

Zhang secured the title through accurate targeting and stable control of his body positioning over the two rounds.

"I achieved my goal!" Zhang said after winning the title.

The victory came after more than a decade of flying and training at Tianmen Mountain, a setting that has become closely associated with the development of wingsuit flying in China.

Zhang first came to Tianmen Mountain in 2012 to watch the first Wingsuit Flying World Championship. The experience helped convince him to pursue wingsuit flying professionally. 

He had previously competed in paragliding and became China's first world champion in the sport in 2009.

Since then, Zhang has repeatedly competed at the world championships and accumulated extensive experience flying around Tianmen Mountain. 

He had already completed more than 1,200 practice flights there before his successful attempt to fly through Tianmen Cave that year.

In April 2023, Zhang became the first Chinese person to fly through Tianmen Cave in a wingsuit. He jumped from a helicopter at an altitude of about 2,200 meters and passed through the natural arch at a speed of about 180 kilometers per hour.

Zhang has also set wingsuit-related records and continued to return to Tianmen Mountain for training and competition.

The latest championship took place along a demanding course. The starting platform was located more than 1,400 meters above sea level, while the vertical difference between the takeoff and landing points reached about 990 meters. 

The straight-line distance of the flight route was about 1.3 kilometers. Similar terrain was used in previous editions of the world championship, with competitors required to make rapid descents and turns through the mountain landscape.

The speed racing title this year went to Australia's Tahi Munro, who clocked 24.051 seconds to win the event for a third consecutive time. Zhang's bronze medal marked his best-ever result in the speed racing event at the world championships.

Over the years, Zhang has repeatedly emphasized the appeal of the sport and the challenge of pushing beyond one's own limits.

"Nothing is freer than flying, and nothing is more meaningful than challenging yourself," Zhang has said.

Tianmen Mountain has hosted international extreme sports events for more than a decade, including the Wingsuit Flying World Championship, helping establish Zhangjiajie as a destination for mountain and extreme sports.