Zhang Shupeng became China's first wingsuit flying world champion on September 12, winning the precision target event at the 12th Wingsuit Flying World Championship in Zhangjiajie.
A bottle cap from 1,458 metres
Eight finalists launched one by one from Yuhu Peak at an altitude of 1,458 metres. They dived towards a target set in a gap between the mountains, just 15 metres above the ground. Its centre measured only 0.04 metres across — roughly the size of a mineral water bottle cap — and they approached it at speeds approaching 200 kilometres per hour.
Zhang maintained steady control and accurate targeting in both rounds. US athlete Dante Wardlaw finished second with 160 points, while France's Ambroise Serrano took third on 150. The final result rested on combined scores from two target hits, and Zhang's consistency proved decisive.
From paragliding pioneer to wingsuit champion
Zhang was no stranger to firsts. In 2009 he became China's first world champion in paragliding. After watching the inaugural Wingsuit Flying World Championship at this same mountain in 2012, he travelled to the United States to learn the discipline and earned a European flight certificate within three months, becoming China's first wingsuit athlete.
This was his eighth appearance at the championship. A day earlier he won bronze in the speed racing final. After his winning jump, he told reporters the achievement was the result of many years of effort. "After more than a decade of effort, I have finally achieved my dream of winning a wingsuit flying world championship," he said.
Zhang was the only Asian athlete among 16 competitors from 11 countries. On the mountain where he first glimpsed the sport fourteen years ago, his precision broke a field long ruled by Europeans and Americans.
