FIG Parkour Commission holds very constructive first meeting

The FIG Parkour Commission held its first meeting in Lausanne (SUI) Tuesday and Wednesday under the direction of Commission President David Belle, who was able to measure the communal willingness to work to develop the sport that he himself founded.

Commission members gathered at FIG Headquarters barely 48 hours after the conclusion of the second Parkour competition organised by the FIG. Like the first, held at the end of May in Montpellier (FRA), this competition in Chengdu (CHN) was a big success. And as in Montpellier, the Federation once again teamed up with FISE, which showcases new urban sports in a circuit of events on different continents.

Poland's Kamil Tobiasz and Ukraine's Anna Griukach won the competition, which was presented in a "speed run" format, an against-the-clock obstacle course. Beyond the results, this competition was above all another test with a view to the World Cup Series kickoff in April 2018.

The principal point on the Commission's agenda was to discuss the rules for this World Cup series, which will go through the four legs of the FISE circuit in Hiroshima (JPN), Montpellier (FRA), Budapest (HUN) and Chengdu (CHN), but also all regulatory aspects, whether technical rules specific to Parkour or amendments to the FIG Statutes related to the inclusion of this new sport.

"I felt that around the table there was a real desire to participate in the development of Parkour. We could see that everyone shared the same desire to spread the sport, to make it known around the world and to share the knowledge of its diverse practices, whether that takes the form of competition or hobby," Belle emphasised.

"It allows us to share all the experiences that have been had during past years and see how we could bring them to the new generation," he added.

Competition is only one of three main areas of the Commission's work, along with education and development. At its base, Parkour is a non-competitive training method, but over time, it has inspired diverse sporting events. The Commission therefore considers competition a good showcase for raising awareness of the discipline around the world.

To this end, it is working to implement the roadmap adopted by the FIG Council in May. This roadmap includes a World Cup series in 2018 and 2019, then the first World Championships in 2020. As with all its other disciplines, the FIG hopes to obtain the inclusion of Parkour in the Olympic programme, beginning at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"The FIG's wish is to support the development of Parkour while respecting the philosophy of its founders. From this first meeting, it is clear that athletes and experts of Parkour are at the heart of the strategy, bringing ideas which led to very fruitful discussions," emphasised FIG President Morinari Watanabe.

The Commission also discussed the circulation of educational material and the establishment of a curriculum that would be used to train coaches. The question of education is greatly linked to that of development, the other main focus of the Commission's work, evoking discussion on ways to bring together multiple actors of Parkour from different places who wish to work together.

The Commission is composed of David Belle, Charles Perrière, Michel Boutard, Ahmad Albreihi, Estelle Piget, as well as two athlete representatives, Kamil Tobiasz and Alexandra Shevchenko, to which will be added Parkour representatives from each continent.

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