Leaps of faith

Against the serene backdrop of Xinglonghu Lake, the parkour competition at the Chengdu World Games erupted with energy — pulsating music and an MC's fiery commentary fueling athletes as they transformed the course into a stage for gravity-defying artistry.

Many competitors arrived with backgrounds in disciplines like gymnastics and climbing — now channeling their skills into parkour's philosophy of fluid movement, personal creativity and tight-knit community.

Representing China in women's freestyle in Chengdu, Shang Chunsong made history in November 2024 by claiming gold at the FIG Parkour World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan — China's first-ever world title in the sport.

However, the 29-year-old was previously the captain of China's bronze-winning gymnastics team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

After retiring from competitive gymnastics, she dived into parkour in 2022.

"Both sports judge routines based on difficulty and execution," Shang explained. "But gymnastics requires perfecting fixed sequences on standardized equipment, while parkour freestyle demands improvisation — each course becoming a unique creative challenge."

For Shang, parkour gives her freedom and a sense of joy.

"The coaching feels more like friendship, and training adapts to my personal rhythm. At its core, parkour has become my lifestyle," she added.

Shang credited her gymnastics background for mastering parkour techniques, but said conquering fear and developing her unique movement signature remain the sport's challenges for her.

Fear was clearly not an issue for Shang late on Wednesday afternoon, as she cruised to gold in the women's freestyle final with a superb score of 24.7, beating Japan's Nene Nagai by more than two points. After looking like a sure-fire winner with 22.7 points, Nagai ended the day with silver, after Shang's stellar final run deposed her from top spot. Argentina's Sara Banchoff Tzancoff clinched bronze with a score of 20.6.

Audrey Johnson of the United States missed the podium by the most slender of margins, coming fourth with a score of 20.5.

Johnson, 24, is the only female parkour athlete representing the US at the World Games.

She previously trained in gymnastics and sport climbing, but once she discovered parkour, she was completely hooked.

"I love being a female parkour athlete. I think it's a really cool sport where women can perform at levels very close to the men if you train hard," she said.

"Parkour is all about just finding the type of movement that makes you happy and excited to move your body."

She emphasized how the shared joy and mutual support among parkour practitioners creates an environment where training feels like play.

Similarly, before discovering parkour, Austria's Tobias Kahofer was a ski jumper — a sport with deep roots in his home country. But, by age 12, the thrill had faded.

"I didn't have too much fun doing it anymore, so I stopped," he recalled.

His passion for movement found a new outlet when a friend introduced him to parkour.

"I got to know it through her. I thought, 'okay, I'll look up some videos', and I fell in love with the sport immediately."

Driven by curiosity, he visited a local gym to try it out. That decision marked the beginning of an enduring obsession. "I stuck with the sport," he said. "And I've been loving it ever since."

For him, unlike ski jumping, which requires athletes to repeat and perfect the same movement, parkour offered boundless variety — both physically and mentally.

"You can do way more things in parkour. If a move doesn't click, you can just do something else," he explained.

"I find a lot of fun and joy in my parkour flow and runs. I think people see that, and it definitely defines me in a way."

This is Kahofer's first time competing at the World Games.

"I'm just blown away by how big this whole thing is, how much fun it is. To get to compete with the best in the world and be amongst them is incredible," he said. Kahofer, who participated in both the freestyle and speed events, has been savoring the full athlete experience this time.

"I've just been enjoying time in the athletes' village and training here. It's just a great experience."

Similarly, Swiss parkour athlete Caryl Cordt-Moller, 25, tried many sports including field hockey, archery and curling before he got fixated by parkour.

"I think what I like the most about parkour is that you can do it anywhere, at any time. All you need is a good pair of shoes — you could even do it barefoot if you wanted to," he said.

For both Cordt-Moller and Kahofer, it's the first time they've visited Chengdu, and, in the coming days, they plan to visit a few of the city's iconic landmarks, including the twin towers and — naturally — the city's famous pandas.