France — A team from southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality won a historic bronze medal at the 6th FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving, marking the country’s first podium finish in the vertical formation skydiving (VFS) discipline.
The event, held alongside the 4th FAI European Indoor Skydiving Championships (Formation Skydiving Events) and the inaugural FAI Indoor Para Skydiving World Cup & European Championships, took place from April 9 to 11, 2026, at the WEEMBI Indoor Skydiving Center in Lesquin, Lille, France. It was organized by WEEMBI and the Fédération Française de Parachutisme (FFP).
Following three days of competition among the world’s top indoor skydiving teams, champions across multiple categories were determined, while the debut of the Indoor Para Skydiving Championship marked a milestone for the sport, showcasing high levels of precision and performance.
The Chongqing Jihua Park VFS team celebrates after winning bronze at the 6th FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving. (Photo/Chongqing Jihua Park)
Representing China for the first time in the VFS event, the Chongqing Jihua Park team — Li Yi (captain), Zhao Long, Liu Lu and He Hucan — secured third place against a field dominated by experienced international competitors.
The team, based at the Chongqing Jihua Park Extreme Sports Center in Liangjiang New Area, is not part of a professional national program. Its members are indoor skydiving enthusiasts and instructors who train and work at the facility. Despite this, they demonstrated strong technical execution and coordination throughout the competition.
The competition scene. (Photo/Chongqing Jihua Park)
Vertical formation skydiving is one of the most demanding disciplines in indoor skydiving. Teams are required to complete a series of randomly assigned formations over multiple rounds within a set time, with rankings determined by overall scoring based on speed and accuracy.
In preparation, team members balanced daily work with intensive training, conducting regular wind tunnel sessions and reviewing performance footage to refine technique and improve synchronization. Team captain Li Yi also funded the hiring of an international coach to enhance competitive performance.
During the competition, the team encountered brief coordination challenges but adjusted quickly and completed all rounds, ultimately earning a place on the podium.
Officials at the Chongqing Jihua Park Extreme Sports Center said the result reflects the growing development of indoor skydiving in China and the role of specialized training facilities in supporting athletes’ progress.
The bronze medal marks a breakthrough for China in international indoor skydiving competition and signals the country’s increasing presence in the global extreme sports arena.
(Zhang Xuege, as an intern, also contributed to this article.)