BALESTRA Luciano
Netherlands
NED
Title
Mr
Lastname
BALESTRA
Firstname
Luciano
Gender
male
Country
Netherlands
Place of birth
Amsterdam
Year of birth
1995 (27 y.o.)
Discipline(s)
Parkour
test img
Occupation
Athlete, Business Owner
Education
Psychology - University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Family
Daughter Ayana
Spoken languages
Dutch, English, Portuguese, Spanish
Club
JUMP Freerun [Netherlands]
Coach
Mark van Swieten [club, national], NED
Injuries
In July 2017 he injured his ankle and could not train for a month. (Instagram profile, 25 Aug 2017)
Start sporting career
He began freerunning in 2011 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. "From an early age I have always been moving. I tried to climb into everything and tried to balance on everything I saw. That's why I started capoeira [a Brazilian martial art form] at the age of six, I did this for six years. I thought capoeira was great and this gave me a very good basis from which to continue working." (lucianobalestra.com, 18 Dec 2017)
Reason for taking up the sport
"I discovered freerunning when I came in contact with Planet Contra [Amsterdam, Netherlands]. They had rented a room every week where the freerunners from Amsterdam came together. I came here and I loved it. I had finally found what I had been looking for all my life. It is outdoor play for adults. It is also possible everywhere - give me a sidewalk or just a lawn and I can do something with it. I see the world as a playground." (houtensnieuws.nl, 15 Sep 2019; back2basicspk.nl, 01 Jan 2018)
Trainings
He trains six days a week. (lucianobalestra.nl, 01 Jan 2022)
Philosophy / Motto
"Free your mind." (Facebook profile, 12 Jan 2022)
Additional information
General
OTHER ACTIVITIES
He co-owns JUMP Freerun, a parkour and freerunning academy with several locations in the Netherlands. "I see the children who come, enjoy and quickly gain self-confidence, they learn to focus. That is part of the mental aspect of freerunning. The performance is not paramount, certainly not at a young age. In many other sports children are told you have to do this or do that. With freerunning, it comes from yourself. It is about what makes you feel comfortable." In 2019 he appeared as a freerunner in a film called 'Amsterdam Heroes', which was directed by his mother, Julia Strijland. The film focused on the lives of people living in the Dutch city. (Instagram profile, 17 Sep 2022; houtensnieuws.nl, 15 Sep 2019; ccamstel.nl, 19 Jan 2019; geografie.nl, 24 May 2019; Julia Strijland Vimeo account, 15 Feb 2019)

Last update : 2022-09-28

World Championships

2022 - 1st FIG Parkour World Championships TOKYO (JPN)

Men Speed
Rank Final
-
Score Final
-
Rank Qualif.
10
Score Qualif.
28.440
Men Freestyle
Rank Final
-
Score Final
-
Rank Qualif.
16
Score Qualif.
21.500
World Cup

2023 - FIG Parkour World Cup 2023 MONTPELLIER (FRA)

Men Freestyle
Rank Final
-
Score Final
-
Rank Qualif.
11
Score Qualif.
23.500

2022 - FIG Parkour World Cup Sofia SOFIA (BUL)

Men Freestyle
Rank Final
8
Score Final
21.500
Rank Qualif.
8
Score Qualif.
21.500

2022 - FIG Parkour WCup MONTPELLIER (FRA)

Men Speed
Rank Final
-
Score Final
-
Rank Qualif.
13
Score Qualif.
21.870
Men Freestyle
Rank Final
-
Score Final
-
Rank Qualif.
22
Score Qualif.
18.500
Multisport Events / Games

2019 - World Urban Games BUDAPEST (HUN)

Men Freestyle
Rank Final
8
Score Final
11.500
Rank Qualif.
8
Score Qualif.
21.500
World / Challenge Cup

2019 - FIG World Cup 2019 MONTPELLIER (FRA)

Men Freestyle
Rank Final
4
Score Final
25.000
Rank Qualif.
1
Score Qualif.
26.000

2019 - FIG World Cup 2019 HIROSHIMA (JPN)

Men Speed
Rank Final
-
Score Final
-
Rank Qualif.
13
Score Qualif.
13.770
Men Freestyle
Rank Final
7
Score Final
21.500
Rank Qualif.
5
Score Qualif.
21.500

2019 - FIG World Cup 2019 CHENGDU (CHN)

Men Freestyle
Rank Final
8
Score Final
13.500
Rank Qualif.
6
Score Qualif.
21.500