Guinness World Records Honors Outrageous Athletic Achievements with Wacky Sporting Champions e-Book
(New York) – Guinness World Records, the global authority on record-breaking achievements, today released a compendium of the craziest feats ever achieved in the world of alternative sports in the new Guinness World Records e-book: Wacky Sporting Champions. The new eBook is available on iPad, nook and kindle.
The eBook honors the unique sporting stars that have taken record-breaking to new and outrageous extremes across the globe. They include American Sumo wrestler Emmanuel Yarborough who at 704 lb is the ‘Heaviest Living Athlete,’ New Zealand’s Veronica Torr who recorded the ‘Fastest 100 Metre Hurdles Wearing Swim Fins’ (18.52 seconds), and Kenichi Ito from Japan who ran the ‘Fastest 100m Running on All Fours’ (18.58 seconds).
Everyone knows that Jamaica’s Usain Bolt is the fastest man on 2 legs, covering 100m in 9.58 seconds, but how would he cope on all fours? In November 2008 Japan’s Kenichi Ito recorded the ‘Fastest 100m on All Fours’ in an astonishing 18.58 seconds; just 9 seconds longer than Bolt! The 29 year-old self-proclaimed “monkey enthusiast” from Tokyo has spent years developing a style of running based on the movements of the West African Patas monkey.
Greg Louganis might be one of the best that ever walked the diving board, but would he be willing to take the plunge into just one foot of water? Darren Taylor, a.k.a. Professor Splash, has over 25 years experience in shallow diving. In November 2011 the 50 year old from Colorado broke his own record for the ‘Highest Shallow Dive.’ Darren made the plunge from a height of 36ft 8.94 in landing into just 12 in of water. On the heroic plunge Darren says: “Yes, it hurts, but the pain lasts for a minute, while the glory lasts a lifetime!”
All American weight lifters can take inspiration from 64 year-old John Evans who holds the 14 year-old record for the ‘Heaviest Car Balanced on the Head.’ Back in May 1999 John from Derbyshire carried a Mini Cooper, weighing 352lb, upon his head for over half a minute.
“It's all very well being a professional athlete, but what about the pea-shooters, toe-wrestlers and haggis-hurlers? Who gives these passionate sporting heroes the credit they deserve?” said Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday. “Thankfully, Guinness World Records is here to congratulate and celebrate these unsung heroes of the track, field and bog."
For more wildly entertaining records, which include more than 370 records and 70 pictures based on track and field sports, check out the new Guinness World Records Wacky Sporting Champions out on e-book today.
For more Information/ Pictures/ please contact:
Jamie Panas
Guinness World Records
press@guinnessworldrecords.com
Mark Karges
Bender/Helper Impact
Mark_karges@bhimpact.com
Notes to editors: Other extraordinary records to have made the e-book include: Longest distance cycled in one hour without using hands The longest distance cycled in one hour without hands is 23.25 miles and was achieved by Erik Skramstad (USA) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, USA, on June 23, 2009.
Fastest 100m hurdles wearing swim fins
The fastest 100 metre hurdles wearing swim fins (female) is 18.523 seconds and was achieved by Veronica Torr (New Zealand) on the set of Zheng Da Zong Yi-Guinness World Records Special in Beijing, China, on December 8, 2010.
Farthest throw of a person
Jonathan Macfarlane (New Zealand) threw Andrew Rainford a distance of 15 ft 11 in on the set of NZ Smashes Guinness World Records at the Sylvia Park shopping mall in Auckland, New Zealand, on July 25, 2009.
Fastest mile fireman's carry
The fastest mile covered while carrying another person on one's shoulders is 15 min 11.87 sec by Ashrita Furman (USA) on November 9, 2005 at Liberty State Park, New Jersey, USA on Guinness World Records day.
Fastest 100m on a space hopper
The women's record for the fastest 100 m space hopper race is 39.88 sec and was set by Dee McDougall (UK) at the University of St Andrews, Fife, UK on September 26, 2004.
Fastest time to complete the World Bog Snorkeling Triathlon
The fastest time to complete the World Bog Snorkeling Triathlon is 2 hr 45 min 40 sec and was achieved by Natalie Bent (UK), at the 2010 World Bog Snorkeling Triathlon, Llanwrtyd Wells, United Kingdom, on July 11, 2010.
Longest running shin-kicking contest
The longest-running shin-kicking competition has taken place since 1636, as part of Robert Dover’s (UK) Cotswold Olimpicks, held in England, UK, since 1612.
About Guinness World Records:
Guinness World Records (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records™ book has become one of the biggest-selling copyright titles of all time, selling 120 million copies to date in 22 languages and in more than 100 countries. The internationally renowned brand is now also available across a number of platforms – GWR’s global television shows are watched by 250 million viewers annually; digital media and online record-processing services attract more than 50 million visitors a year; and the live events team annually entertains and inspires 1.5 million people around the world. GWR receives more than 1,000 applications each week and has a specialized team of multi-language record managers and adjudicators who travel the globe to verify official record attempts. GWR also has a commercial division (Guinness World Records Corporate) that offers accessible record-breaking business solutions to other organizations and brands.
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