Parkour (aka freerunning) was formed in France in the 1980s and is a discipline that uses rapid movements such as running, climbing, swinging and jumping, to move from one point within an obstacle course (usually in an urban setting) to another. Only the natural abilities of the body is permitted and thus the use of assistive equipment is not allowed. The term 'Parkour' derives from the French word, 'Parcours' which means 'route' or 'course'.[1]
In early 2017, the United Kingdom became the first country to officially recognise Parkour as a sport with the Minister of Sport describing it as a 'fun, creative and innovative option." The home countries sport councils are Sport England, sportScotland, UK Sport, Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland. When determining whether a sport should be officially recognised, the bodies will refer to the Council of Europe's definition of sport which is described as any form of physical activity, casual or organised, aimed at "expressing or improving physical fitness and mental wellbeing, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels." The recognition now allows the sport to grow and progress within the UK.[2]
Parkour has always been a non-competitive sport and strives on community spirit, however, in 2017 the International Sport Federation for gymnastics, Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced that it was to introduce a new competitive discipline based on Parkour with a goal to hold World Series competitions in 2018/19 and then World Championships from 2020 onwards. [3] The announcement has not sat well with a number of national federations for Parkour, most notably Parkour UK, the national governing body for Parkour in the UK, and Federation de Parkour, the national governing body for Parkour, in France.
FIG's position is that the discipline is parkour-inspired rather parkour itself. Parkour is non-competitive and for the sport to be recognised by the Olympic movement, there has to be a competitive element. FIG claims to have a long history not solely linked to the organisation of gymnastics and therefore, it considers itself the most appropriate body to provide a commitment, through education and awareness, to encourage people into the discipline and make full use of their motor skills. FIG has already taken steps to integrate the sport into its disciplines by formalising two obstacle course events: an 'obstacle course sprint' (an against-the-clock format) and an 'obstacle course freestyle' (to be judged on individual performance). FIG has stressed that their plans differ from those of national parkour organisations on the basis that parkour is non-competitive and their implementation of the sport will be competitive.[4]
