Stunts in the Sky: Wingsuit flying competition wraps up in SW China

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An international wingsuit flying competition has wrapped up in southwestern China. The annual event in Jinggu attracted dozens of dare-devils from nine countries, who showcased their great courage and dazzling array of stunts. CGTN's Yang Jinghao has more.

A challenge for the brave.

Some 30 wingsuit flyers from across the world put on a daring show of valor in Yunnan Province over the past few days.

Team France eventually reclaimed the "Wings for Love World Cup" by displaying the highest level of accuracy.

VINCENT DESCOLS WINGSUIT FLYER, TEAM FRANCE "We're more than happy, because it's the third time we participate, it's the third time we win, with my teammates. So for us, it's a hat trick."

This is the fourth consecutive year that the event has been held in Yunnan.

This time, some new games were added, such as reverse wingsuit flying, where two pilots smashed the previous Guinness World Record.

Some of them even tried night formation flying.

The contestants had different feelings on how they performed, but they all generally enjoyed the experience.

SHENG GUANGQIANG WINGSUIT FLYER, TEAM CHINA "Compared with last year, we cooperated with each other a lot better, but the result wasn't as good as I had hoped. But generally, we did a great job."

MARINE GALVES DESCOLS WINGSUIT FLYER, TEAM SWEDEN "The competition was really awesome, because we had no stress at all. Everyone was really cool, really into the competition, but at the same time, having a lot of fun. Everyone around is really kind to us, people of China are so awesome with us."

Although the sport is described by many as exciting and daring, it is of course also dangerous, with many enthusiasts having lost their lives over the years.

YANG JINGHAO JINGGU, YUNNAN PROVINCE "With the improvement of related equipment and more professional training, wingsuit flying has become a lot safer today. It is gaining in popularity worldwide, including in China."

China has several qualified exponents.

Xu Kai, one of the pioneers of wingsuit flying in the country, organizes the event every year.

He says he's confident the sport can really begin to take off in China and further afield.

XU KAI, CHAIRMAN EVENT ORGANIZING COMMITTEE "China has many great places suitable for this sport. Also, we have a number of excellent parachutists and paragliders, who can easily be trained for wingsuit flying. Next, we'll bring in more advanced equipment for better training."

As a charity event, all the prize money was donated to local impoverished families. Xu says it's an important way of maintaining the sport's charm and vitality – flying for fun, but more importantly, flying for love. Yang Jinghao, CGTN, Jinggu, Yunnan Province.