The 11th World Wingsuit League (WWL) Wingsuit Flying World Championship will take place from Sept. 16 to 19 at Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, featuring 16 elite flyers from nine countries.

Competitors hail from Australia, the United States, France, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Poland, South Africa and China. Among them is 45-year-old American Sean Chuma, the oldest participant this year and a first-time entrant, who said he is eager to prove that "age is no barrier to extreme sports."

Swiss flyer Jenna Gygi, the only female competitor, returns for her second appearance at Tianmen Mountain after competing in 2023. Chinese veteran Zhang Shupeng, runner-up in the 2017 target race and third-place finisher in 2018, will also return, showcasing the results of his latest training.

The championship will feature two events: the speed race and the precision target race. Both start from an altitude of 1,458 meters, with a vertical drop of 990 meters and an aerial distance of about 1.3 kilometers.

In the speed race, athletes will navigate an S-shaped course, each making two runs with the best time counting. Last year's winner completed the course in just 24.703 seconds.

The precision target race challenges flyers to hit paper targets suspended between mountain gaps. Each target is placed 15 meters above the ground with an outer diameter of 0.8 meters and a bullseye diameter of just 0.1 meter. Competitors will have two attempts, with their total points determining the final score.

Source: Xinhua