Shang Chunsong: World Champion Interview

2024.11.19
This is Shang Chunsong, who is now standing on the highest medal podium at the World Championships. She is smiling happily, the dream of becoming world champion has been deferred for over 10 years, but it has finally come true today. Born in 1996, Shang Chunsong used to be a very skilled artistic gymnastics, excelling in the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Vault was her only weaker event. In the 2013 National Games, the young and inexperienced Shang Chunsong won three gold medals at the event. In the same year at the Antwerp World Championships, Shang Chunsong was seen as a favorite for the beam final, but with the not ideal execution scores in the apparatus finals, she failed to make it on the podium, ending up in 6th place. In the upcoming years, in international competitions, Shang Chunsong always had unfortunate luck, but she has led the Chinese gymnastics team as team captain to a World Championships silver medal and Olympic bronze. Individually, she has also received many gold medals in various World Cup events, but has always missed becoming a world champion by a step. Following the Rio Olympics, Shang Chunsong stopped participating in international competitions. Though she would occasionally receive good results on the domestic scene, becoming a world champion seemed to have become an unfulfilled goal.
SCS: Everyone knows that I used to do gymnastics, and throughout my artistic gymnastics career, I never received an individual gold medal at the World Championships, and I have left regrets in the sport.
However, Shang Chunsong was introduced to parkour, and with her good gymnastics basics, she has demonstrated superb skills in the freestyle event. She was chosen for the Parkour Chinese National Team, and in May, she won her first World Cup Champion in this sport in France. The door leading to becoming a World Champion was once again opening for Shang Chunsong.
SCS: Since I have trained gymnastics before, I have a certain advantage in the sport of parkour. There are many similarities between the two sports, such as the high bar or the roundoff 3/2 flip I do in my routine. These skills are relatively simple for former elite gymnasts.
At the 2024 Kitakyushu Parkour World Championships, Shang Chunsong’s dream was finally met. She performed with the highest difficulty and execution of the entire competition, and with a score of 33.1, Shang Chunsong finally stood on the highest podium and received the title. From the 2013 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships to the 2024 Parkour World Championships, the location has changed, and so has the event. But Shang Chunsong’s path to her goal has never stopped. At the age of 28, she is already considered too old for gymnastics, but is at the perfect age for parkour. Her heart to reach her dream has never grown old. With the intense love and passion she has for these sports, age doesn’t mean anything.
SCS: I hope that in the future, more and more retired elite gymnasts can try training parkour. Never give up!

[@daniel_araujo_lima]

post more videos of her 🙂💙

[@csaw4u]

Hope she is given a special gift for being the first Chinese champion. I remember she was supporting her family and was robbed of that life changing Olympic AA bronze medal. I don't even know her but I love and want her to be stress-free and happy

[@daniel_araujo_lima]

This girl is incredible, I had the honor of seeing her in person, I love her so much 🥰

[@SupremeMaster-he4rc]

Thank you for this!!!!!❤❤❤❤

[@Skyline-w3n]

Good job awesome 🎉

[@viktorkomova]

I love her!! She is incredible ❤❤

[@daniel_araujo_lima]

Last night I dreamed that I was hugging Shang Chunsong 🥰

[@viktorkomova]

I love her!! She is incredible ❤❤