X-sport: First Chinese wingsuiter Zhang claims bronze at 2018 WWL Championship

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"Flying is an indispensable part of life to me," said Zhang Shupeng, 33, China's first and best wingsuit pilot.

Zhang recently finished another of his successful wingsuit flights and claimed a bronze medal at the target competition event during the 2018 Wingsuit Championship, also known as 2018 World Wingsuit League (WWL) China Grand Prix.

Zhang Shupeng in a wingsuit competes during the target event of the 2018 Wingsuit Championship in Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, Zhangjiajie City, China, September 15. /VCG Photo

The championships were held between September 13 and 18 in Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, where the event has been held for seven years.

A total of 16 top wingsuiters from around the world took part in the extreme sport which involved jumping down cliffs at the altitude of 1,400 meters above sea level and flying at an average speed of over 200 km/h.

This is Zhang's second bronze medal during the China race. Last year, he also won the third prize.

Before his wingsuit flying career began, Zhang was a professional parachutist – a member of China's national paragliding team. He is also a world champion and world record-holding para-glider and one of China's most experienced sports parachutists as he has started paragliding since 2004.

Zhang Shupeng attends a press conference of the 2016 WWL China Grand Prix on October 16, 2016. /VCG Photo

Zhang decided to try skydiving in wingsuit flying after watching the first WWL China Grand Prix races in 2012. He made his WWL debut in 2016 as the first ever Chinese base-jumper to compete at the China Grand Prix. "It was a great honor to represent my country as the first Chinese pilot to compete in the WWL," he said then.

"If you want to learn wingsuit flying, you must learn parachuting first," he added.

WWL gives congratulations to all the winners of the 2018 WWL China Grand Prix, including Zhang who claims a bronze medal in the target completion. /Screenshot from WWL's official Facebook page

His paragliding skills and experience have allowed him to get better and faster. Also, his international competition experience in paragliding has helped him win against more experienced wingsuit pilots.

"I clearly remember that I got my wingsuit flying license at my 207th jump on March 15, 2013," recalled Zhang, who traveled to the US to learn parachute flying in 2013.

According to his coach, Zhang is a world-class miracle for Chinese people in the field.

"Other players may jump three or four times a day, but I keep nine or ten jumps. My one-day record was 12 jumps," said Zhang, who always set speed, accuracy, and long-distance as his target.

Zhang Shupeng's name and photo are shown at an official trailer of the WWL. /Screenshot from Youtube

"Flying is both my hobby and career. I always have a yearning for the sky. Wingsuit flying has enabled me to feel like having wings and experience much more freedom than any other sports," Zhang said.

"Do foreigners have better performance than Chinese at extreme sports? I don't think so," he said. "I will use my action to change people's stereotype about it."